


Savior's Flight

by PsychicBeagle



Series: Unraveling Threads [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Also Rated For Death, Angst, Determination, During/Post Genocide Route, Rated For Fight Scenes, Self Loathing, Self-Discovery, That Means Deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-18 13:12:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5929672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychicBeagle/pseuds/PsychicBeagle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The human rampages on. For what reason, no one truly knows. As the tidal wave washed through the Underground, cleansing it of all life, only one monster was left standing. What's her story?</p>
<p>Side story to The Broken Clock. Reading it is not strictly necessary, but recommended.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hiding from the Beholder

I slumped over my monitor, hands soaked by my own tears. I tried to slow them down, tried to stay strong, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t the strong one around here. No, that was Undyne’s thing. She was always the one who held firm in the face of chaos.

 

And now, she was dying right in front of my eyes. I could only sit there, watching the screen, as her body melted. It was like all my failures had compiled into a single mass.

 

She wouldn’t have been there if I had spread the word about that human, no, whatever it was, sooner. The way she deteriorated was a painful reminder of the Amalgamates, who’s predicament was all my fault. And now it was too late to confess how I felt. Maybe if she had that little extra incentive, something else to fight for, she might have won. Maybe she wouldn’t have gone out there at all, choosing to stand guard closer to home, where I could at least lend a hand.

 

“Alphys, what are you doing in… Darling, what is this?” Mettaton had some great timing. He came in just as that thing landed its last hit. Undyne, started to wobble, her body drooping across the floor. “Oh my God. Alphys, please, talk to me!” I put everything I had into answering him.

 

“Human, came out of Ruins, everyone they met they… they… so much dust…” I never said I had a lot. I choked on the words, my fumble allowing the sorrow to show itself even more. “Undyne…”

 

“Heh, you got me…” Her voice drew my attention back to the screen. “But guess what? I still win this time. We monsters, we never go it alone. Alphys, a pal of mine, was watching us the whole time.”

 

“You killing me was her cue to get everyone out of the way. Believe it when I say that if anyone can do it, it’s her.” She trusted me that much? But, I was a screw up! I couldn’t do anything right.

 

“Alphys, there’s something special about that one. Self esteem needs work, but she’s dependable. As we speak, Alphys is evacuating everyone. Hear that, freak!? You lose!” Her body faded away into dust. The creature was outraged, screaming madly as it stabbed the piece of ground she was standing on. Undyne, you really did believe in me. There wasn’t any mistaking that smile of hers. Okay, here goes nothing.

 

“Metta, get the word out. I’m activating the emergency force field, and we need everyone there.” I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, pulling myself out of the big, cushy chair. A hand gripped my shoulder, the icy sting of metal seeping through my lab coat.

 

“Are you okay, Alphys? I’m not sure seeing that was good for your mental health.”

 

“That doesn’t matter right now.” I pulled myself from his caring touch. I didn’t deserve it. “Undyne trusted that I would keep as many monsters as possible safe from that thing as I could, and I’d rather go through the DT treatment myself than let her down again.” He lost his voice at that.

 

I rushed for the front door, opening it to find Bun Bun, a shopkeeper from Snowdin, about to start pounding on it. She let out a breath she had been holding.

 

“Thank goodness, Alphys! Please, we need help, there’s a…”

 

“Yeah, I know. The human. Just follow me to the upper steam yard. I can set up the evac shelter when everyone’s rounded up.” I looked behind her, finding a mob of monsters from Snowdin. Each one was crestfallen, jittery, or somewhere in between. She seemed to be the only one still capable of rational speech.

 

“Okay. Everyone, double file up those stairs over there!” No one had it in them to argue, knowing they weren’t too far ahead of the reaper. My heart grew heavy at the sight of so many children. Chances were they were enjoying a day out in the snow before word of peril started spreading, flowing alongside dust in the breeze.

 

I followed them, making sure no one was left behind me as I pulled out a ring of keys. I picked up a large, nearby stone, revealing a small metal pad and a keyhole. With one turn of the wrist, a blue, translucent wall rose before me. No one would be getting in this way. As soon as Metta was back with the residents of Hotland, I would raise all the other force fields, too. For now, we just had to wait and hope that thing didn’t figure out where we were.

 

-

 

I was doing a headcount, deeper in the safe zone, when I realized someone else had arrived. The thing was that no one saw him come in, and everyone was just as surprised when they noticed. Well, I really shouldn’t have expected anything less. That was just the way Sans was.

 

“Hey, Sans, when did you get here?” He didn’t answer me. All he could do was look down at his hands. I followed his line of sight to a very reasonable explanation why. Draped over his arms was a torn, dirty, red scarf. Looking at it, I could still hear the chuckling of its owner, as well as his strangled last words. Of all the deaths I saw, his was among the most heart wrenching.

 

Monsters started crowding around Sans, whispering words of comfort to him. Even if he didn’t do all that much, he was still a beloved member of the community. Those skeletons were a little ray of sunshine in this dark place we called home.

 

“Sans, I’m so, so sorry for your lost. I-is there anything I can do to…” I put a hand on his shoulder, triggering a very not Sans response. His bones jerked, body going rigid on the boulder he was seated at. It was only for a moment, but I knew I saw a hint of blue lick at the corners of his left eye.

 

I found my position in the room changed, blinking several feet away. Everyone scrambled to make a circle around him of about that radius, not sure how to handle the sudden mood swing. All they knew was to not touch him. Suddenly, that touchy demeanor was gone, and he looked at us with that smile we had come to know him for.

 

“sorry ‘bout that, alph. been a bit rattled today, that’s all.” He carefully stuffed the scarf into the pocket on the front right of his jacket. Aside from those lines under his sockets, he looked like he always did again. He couldn’t fool me, though. Before I could try pulling him into a hug, get him to spill all that pent up rage, Mettaton came rolling into the safe zone with another batch of survivors.

 

“I think that should be everyone in Hotland, Doctor.”

 

“Good, then we can seal this place off.” I rushed over to the last lock, about ready to secure the perimeter, but was stopped by someone yelling in the middle of the crowd.

 

“Lansot! Lansot, where are you?” When I looked back, I found his father was running around the place. Not even his constant tripping slowed him down, curling into a roll instead of landing face first. The rings around his eyes had grown darker than usual, a sure sign of distress. “Excuse me, Doctor, have you seen him around here anywhere?”

 

“He isn’t with you?” He shook his head quickly.

 

“No, we haven’t seen him since this morning. Is it possible he…”

 

“No, that shouldn’t be the case. He ran off in this direction when Undyne started her duel with the human. I figured he would have caught up with us by now.” I rolled up my left sleeve, pushing some buttons on my digital wristwatch. “Here, I’ll see if I can find him on any of my cameras.”

 

The screen flashed through a few different locations. Muffet’s territory, no. The Core’s main control center, no. Inside my lab… Wait, why is the True Lab door open? I pressed a few buttons, entering the password for my more secure video channels.

 

MEW MEW TWO STINKS…

 

The screen was much darker, telling me that I was in the right neighborhood. The True Lab had to be kept in low light, the Amalgamates being much more active in bright lights. I couldn’t afford them getting too wound up and escaping, hence the preventative measures.

 

Sure enough, Lansot was down there. I wasn’t sure how he got there, but my best guess was that he tried to duck into the ‘bathroom’ to hide. His being there was surprising enough. What really got me was how well he was getting along with Endogeny, rubbing the top of its head with his tail.

 

“That’s it, you’re a good doggy, aren’t you? Man, how could I be scared of you guys, anyway?” His father, however, was unconvinced.

 

“What is that thing!?” He was starting to breath funny, eyeing the last open hallway like he was planning to bolt.

 

“Relax, sir. Please, calm down. Endogeny wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone your son.” That seemed to calm his nerves a bit, but only enough to think rationally.

 

“Okay, I think I’m alright. Is he safe there?” I started running calculations in my head.

 

“Well, normally, yes. That portion of the lab is locked up tight, hidden behind as many security features as I could jam in. The thing is…” I turned the screen back to the main room of the building, the door to the elevator shaft hanging wide open. “…the door has to be closed for them to work.” Monsters were already gathering close, trying to calm Lansot’s father down preemptively. I was too busy trying to figure out how to retrieve him.

 

A horrible realization came to me. At the human’s normal rate of movement, factoring in the approximate time it would take to circumvent the blocked off routes as well as their last known location, that would mean it would be… Another camera came to life, showing me the stretch of Hotland right outside my front door. Out in the distance, I saw it shuffling that way.

 

“Oh no…” That meant it would only be about two minutes before it entered the lab and discovered the usually blocked off chamber. At that point, it would only be a matter of time until it found Lansot, too. Now I was the one hyperventilating. What do I do, what do I do?

 

“I’ll go.” Mettaton had been staring over my shoulder the whole time, the lights on his screen blinking randomly. I guess he was using his onboard situation analyzer, with added time calculation. He insisted something like that would increase efficiency on set. Well, it seemed to be paying off big time.

 

“Metta, are you sure?” He nodded.

 

“Of course I’m sure. What kind of super star lets a fan fall prey to such a predator? Besides, I’m only a robot. If I were to be destroyed, you could always build another me, right?” He rolled away, knowing his words wouldn’t soothe me. Everyone else, maybe, but I knew the truth. I could build another robotic shell, but not the Soul inside it.

 

“You all stay here, darlings. I will be back with the young man before you can say ‘Action!’” And just like that, he was gone, braving the perils that human presented without a second thought. He was much more brave than I could ever be. All I could do was stand there, monitoring his progress over the surveillance system.


	2. Steel Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chassis over gears, gears over spirit. Which of the three is strongest?

I had to be careful, moving quickly while keeping the buzz of my tire as low as possible. It wasn’t a simple balancing act, but I could manage. Especially when there was a life on the line.

 

The True Lab was as dank and depressing as I remembered. I still recalled my first time stumbling on this place ages ago, the idea of the sweetheart Alphys having something to hide all too alluring. A shrieking from the hall on my left knocked me out of my thoughts, turning to find a large, vaguely avian figure looming over me.

 

“Oh, hello Reaper Bird. I hope you’re doing well?” It nuzzled the palm of my hand, held out in greeting. It lightly bit my wrist, more so trying to guide me down the path than harm me. “You know what I’m here for, don’t you? Alright, lead the way.”

 

The memory of our first encounter was all to vibrant in the back of my mind. I made my way down the winding, confusing corridors only to meet face to face with its immense, distorted figure. I was lucky enough to still be just a ghost at that point, making it impossible to harm me.

 

After some initial panic, I realized that it was only acting in self defense. Its attacks often happened right after my own, so I just stopped striking. Several tense minutes later, we were comfortable enough to get a touch closer, and closer, and closer. By the time Alphys found us, I was holding a one sided conversation with it.

 

Such poor creatures. They had fallen down, fate deciding it was their time to go. They had gotten a glimmer of hope, waking up from their condition with little immediate side effects. A day later, they had molded together into what we now knew as the Amalgamates. Was this preferable to death? Well, I had no room to decide.

 

Eventually, we found our way to the chamber Alphys had spotted them in, the DT Extractor hanging far above our heads. I tried to avoid looking at the device, instead focusing on the young man. It seemed he had found some more friends, the Memory Heads and Lemon Bread crowding around him.

 

“Come on, guys, we should get out of here. It’s kind of dark and… sad, I guess.” He noticed me rolling his way, his jaw hitting the floor. “Wait, Mettaton!? Oh gosh, it is you! This is so. Flipping. Cool!” I would have offered an autograph as always, but time was of the essence.

 

“You would be Lansot, correct? Your father is worried about you, and rightly so.” He seemed to shrink a bit.

 

“I’m sorry, but I just started running for cover, and I didn’t think to slow down and look for someone until I was already way too far ahead. I ducked into the first door I could find, and ended up down here with these cool dudes. I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” While his willingness to take it on the chin was impressive, there were more pressing matters than parental discipline.

 

“I’m afraid we’re all going to be in trouble if that creature catches up to us. Please, follow me to the safe zone.” He stood, prompting Endogeny to spring to its feet. It crouched slightly, wagging its tail. The Memory Heads all started orbiting him, and Lemon Bread was flexing right along.

 

“Is it okay if they come with? I don’t feel alright about leaving them behind.” After a moment of thought, I had to agree with him. Twisted or not, they were all still innocent monsters.

 

“Of course, dear. Come on, everyone, we’re getting out of here!” A buzzing filled the air, a sign of shared excitement. Reaper Bird glided down the halls, heading for the elevator. The others followed, Lansot riding on Endogeny’s back. I was about to go that way myself, but noticed a short, slumped figure in the corner. “Mrs. Drake? Aren’t you coming?” She just sat there, whispering to herself.

 

“sn… o… wy… someone hur..t sno.. wy…” I ran through the camera records I had on hand, realizing who she was talking about. Indeed, Snow Drake had been cut down while trying to crack an ice pun. It was quite cold of that human… Sorry, it was far too soon for that.

 

“Please, come with us. Do you believe Snowy would prefer you die as well?”

 

Using the wall for support, she was able to pull herself to her feet. She shuffled my way, body too watery for quick movement. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, placing her atop my head. It would be quicker that way. Knowing she just had to hold on, she went back to muttering about Snowy. Someone had better give this poor thing a hug back at base camp.

 

On the far wall, sitting respectfully on a hanger, was a single spear. I recognized it as one of Undyne’s more physical designs. She had a few weapons like that incase her magic ever ran dry mid battle, and the glorified poking stick was always her favorite. No wonder she gave Alphys one for emergency self defense purposes.

 

Well, this was an emergency if I ever saw one. I swiftly grabbed it, sticking it to the electromagnetic strip on my back. I momentarily wondered how useful it would be to have a spike-tipped tail in the situation at hand, but soon came to my senses, knowing there wasn’t any time for an upgrade at the moment.

 

I hurried along back up to the elevator shaft, but found something that made my heart drop. The darn thing had lost power, a known flaw of the facility. We didn’t have time to do the manual reset, but I wouldn’t allow the bringer of our doom to be faulty wiring.

 

“Everyone, stand back. I believe this calls for drastic measures.” Placing Mrs. Drake on the ground, I focused on the flow of electricity in my body, forcing it to expend at a far greater rate. My battery may hate me for it, but I needed every drop of energy I could get my hands on. My gears spun faster and faster, my body going into overdrive. “Showtime!”

 

I threw myself at the wall just right of the door, knowing there was an empty pocket of air behind it. I broke through, revealing a tall corridor, seemingly an abandoned elevator shaft. I activated my jet boosters, knowing everyone below me was either capable of flight or capable of hitching a ride.

 

Reaching the top of the shaft, I sped on ahead, pushing another wall aside to reveal the main chamber of the lab. Behind me, I saw Reaper Bird ferrying Mrs. Drake, followed soon my the Memory Heads. Endogeny was next, carrying Lemon Bread and Lansot. The not so little dogs really were a sweet heart. Their newfound freedom was short-lived, however, slow, methodical footsteps echoing just outside the front door.

 

“The human,” I choked out. Even going at top speed, I was too slow to avoid them. Come now, think, we need a plan…

 

“What do we do, what do we do, what do we do!?” Lansot was panicking, running around in circles. His eyes were bouncing all over, trying to find an escape route. I reached out, grabbing him and holding him close. My intent was to try comforting him while I thought, but that was interrupted by his head smacking against my chassis. The dull thud that followed brought my train of thought to a screeching halt. He seemed less than disturbed, breathing starting to normalize.

 

“Okay, I think I’m cool now. Thanks, Mettaton, sir.”

 

“I have an idea!” My sudden spring to action surprised him, a shock further emphasized as I pulled one of the maintenance covers from my body. Inside was a mostly hollow space, the mechanical bits mostly focused around the top of my box. “Everyone, pile in. I think I can get us all out if I play my cards right.”

 

“Wouldn’t it kind of, you know, hurt? Having us all in there?” I patted him on the head.

 

“Never fear, young man. The Amalgamates are too fluid to get in the way too badly. It also means they can keep you nice and cozy while inside. Don’t you trust the Underground’s number one superstar?” I only just then realized how creepy that sentence would be in any other situation.

 

Apparently, I was the only one, Endogeny compressing itself as much as possible to fit inside. The other Amalgamates followed, Lansot getting in last.

 

“Thanks, Mettaton. I owe you one.”

 

“Don’t thank me just yet. You may not be in the flame anymore, but this frying pan is still burning up, if you catch my drift. Try to stay quiet, alright?” He nodded, telling me it was safe to replace the panel. It was odd having passengers in my body, but, then again, it was still odd to have a body at all.

 

My pondering was cut shy by the front doors sliding open. The creature that was supposedly human walked in, eyes instantly locking on me. I wasn’t sure which was creepier, the blank, red glow of its gaze or the grin slowly stretching across its maw. Actually, scratch both of those. That thick layer of dust on its hands simply couldn’t be ignored.

 

“Ah, you must be the human!” I switched directly into my television star mentality. This would have to be among my finest shows. If not for my sake, then for my passengers’. “How unpleasant it is to meet you! Now, you may have noticed a severe lack in monsters on your way, did you not?” The way it eyed me, as though I was the first glass of water it had encountered in an age, told me yes.

 

“Well, you can thank the good doctor for your predicament. You see, we aren’t dumb. We knew you were coming, and are now scattered to the farthest reaches of this home of ours. I’m afraid you won’t be finding them soon, sorry!” It took a step forward, pulling a knife from its back pocket. At least it kept its pace slow, despite the low grinding of my tire rolling backwards.

 

“Fresh meat…” That raspy undertone in its voice was a blow to my nerves. I was lucky enough to have perfected my poker face, but Lansot wasn’t gifted the same way. I felt him shivering, though he was able to muffle his whimpering enough to remain unheard. Keep at it, soldier boy.

 

“Oh, you want my sumptuous circuits on a silver platter, do you? Well, I’m afraid this product is for show only. Damaging the merchandise wouldn’t bode well for my budding career. So long!” I did a swift one-eighty, engaging my rockets to boost my forward acceleration. I picked up that little move during the filming of Mettaton 3: Return of the Iron.

 

I would need every trick hidden up my sleeves, too. A heavy, quick set of steps was following me. I knew it was laughing the whole time, too. The idea that it was killing for the amusement of it all only made the poker face harder to maintain. So, instead, I just focused on rushing my shiny metal tookus to the safe zone.

 

Lansot, however, didn’t have anything to preoccupy himself with. Now that he didn’t have to think about staying quiet, the burning of my rockets drowning out most other noise to anyone not inside me (good God that still sounded weird), he let himself cry lightly. I felt the mass of Amalgamates moving to hug him tighter, like a giant, sentient blanket. It settled him a bit, but only a bit.

 

I would have to pick up the slack and ensure his safety.

 

-

 

I waited at the last open gate, looking at everything that was happening through my cameras. Mettaton was closing in on my location fast, but so was the human. I would have to be perfect with my timing if I wanted to let him in while keeping the human out.

 

“This is an outrage!” Behind me, I heard Boulderish,the oldest, most conservative monster among us, complain loudly. His delayed, heavy steps, which were more like him hopping around, echoed his displeasure. “You’re risking all of our hides for some stupid youngster, a bag of bolts, and those mishmash abominations!? Have you no sense, little lady?”

 

“Back in my day, we knew when to cut our losses and run. We knew the needs of the many over the wants of the few. And we had a brain in our heads, you stupid little…”

 

“Shut your mouth!” Boulderish, and anyone peeking at the time, jumped back in surprise. Frankly, I was too tightly wound to care. My species was getting hunted to extinction, my crush and best friend, not to mention one of my kind of brothers, was dead, and now my second best friend was risking his life while I sat around like a bump on a log. I just couldn’t care anymore.

 

“If things were so much better back then, why are we here now? Our ancestors cut it and run, so now we’re locked up underground, with only a vague idea of what things like the sun are. I don’t know how things were back in ‘your day,’ but in _my_ day, we have enough heart to stand up for our friends. If you really think sacrificing mine while they cling to hope is what a smart monster would do, then I invite you to do so in your own little colony after I _throw you out there with the human_!” He had enough common sense to not reply, backing away slowly.

 

“Good! Now shut up so I can concentrate.” My eyes went back to the monitor watch while the old guy hurriedly hopped away. Metta should have been rounding the corner in about three seconds. Sure enough, there he was, rockets cranked up to full power. I knew it was a good idea to install those.

 

Moments later, the human followed suit, trailing only a few meters behind him. It was deceptively fast, keeping pace despite being up against space shuttle grade propulsion. Maybe that was its plan, shuffling around so no one would expect the sudden burst of speed in a pinch.

 

I had to be flawless here. A moment too soon, Metta and his passengers would be left out there. A nanosecond too late, I would only know I messed up by the cold press of a knife through my flesh. It had to be just right. Five seconds until Metta was in. Three, two, one…

 

My lab coat billowed in his wake, my wrist snapping the key into position. A blue, translucent wall rose, the human stuck on the other side. I breathed a sigh of relief, wiping away the sweat on my forehead. I looked to the wall, eyes of the creature staring down at me. My pulse raced, but I managed to stand my ground.

 

It just stared at me, a wide, creepy grin adorning its face. The air around it seemed distorted, and if I squinted, I could almost see a second, similar figure standing in the same space. I could see why some confused this thing for a monster. I wasn’t so sure it was human anymore, either.

 

It slowly raised its right arm, bringing the knife down against the wall. A dull thud rang out from the point of impact, but our protection remained unwavering. Over and over, it kept going, wanting to get its hands on everyone on our side. I heard some of the younger monsters down the hall panicking, tucked into their parents’ arms.

 

Eventually, it tired of messing with us, turning around and walking away. I felt sorrow for anyone still out there, hoping they had gotten far enough away to set up their own strongholds. For the moment, I was just happy that I had gotten some monsters to safety. Now that it was gone, I heard Lansot happily reuniting with his father. That little moment actually made me think things would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darn it, Alphys, you never say stuff like that out loud! It's bad luck!


	3. The Will to Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The power of Determination is great, but every force has a superior.

Even though we were safe as was, the Amalgamates getting along well with everyone, I was still keeping my eyes glued to the camera feeds. I was too afraid to do anything else. If I appeared less than busy, someone might ask me why the monsters they love were all blended together, and that was a can of worms I worked hard to nail shut. If the human came back, I would want to be there, staring it down. That way, if my plan failed, I would be the first to pay for it. Maybe even the only one, me acting as a meat shield for everyone else.

 

“Alphys, dear, you need to sit down or something.” Metta kept saying that, concerned for my wellbeing. He didn’t think working so hard was good for me. Well, leaving me to my thoughts would have been even worse.

 

“No thanks. It’s kinda hard to relax right now, all things considered. You go ahead, though, you earned it.” Lansot had already shared his side of the story, hence why his new friends were given a chance.

 

“And you haven’t? I brought back a few handfuls of monsters. You got everyone else, as well as set up this field in the first place. Really, you deserve a break more than…”

 

“I said I’m fine!” He jolted upright, but was able to stay where he was. Even if his eyes were only blinking lights, I could still see the pity in them. I turned back to my work, expression sinking. “Sorry, Metta, just… I’ll be okay. I need time to figure this all out, you know?” I felt him put a hand on my back.

 

“Alphys, I know things are hard right now. I would be lying if I said otherwise. What I’m trying to tell you is, well, is it really living if you’re miserable?” He paused for a moment, finding the right words. “I’ve known you for years. You gave me this body, the chance to be successful. I don’t thank you nearly enough for that, I know, but I still appreciate it.”

 

“In all the time I’ve known you, even if my eyes were usually pointed elsewhere, I could still see you were unhappy. You could put up your facade, but the truth was still there. Now you’re unraveling at the seams. If it weren’t such a big thing, I would be tempted to call our unwelcome guest the straw that broke your back.”

 

“Try not to be so hard on yourself. I mean, Asgore is carrying more than any two monsters put together, and he still takes the time for that gardening he loves so much.” I suppose he had a point there. He did look pretty happy, watering can in hand…

 

Wait, what!? Asgore wasn’t taking cover yet!? Oh no, and the human, last I checked, was almost through the Core. Mettaton realized the same thing, falling silent as he tried to process what was going on. Someone else, eavesdropping on our conversation, was reasonably concerned about it.

 

“The king is in danger!”

 

“We have to go out there and help him!”

 

“What could we possibly do that he couldn’t? Yell at the human really loud?”

 

“We could get some pizza.”

 

“Shut up, Jerry!”

 

“Wait, didn’t you just die?”

 

“I’m like a bad infection. Really hard to take care of for good.”

 

“I’m going in.” A wave of deja vu sank in, Mettaton moving for the doorway that would lead him between the human and Asgore quickest.

 

“Mettaton, wait!” I ran in front of him, trying to use my body as a barrier between him and certain death. “If you go out there, you’ll die!”

 

“I know.”

 

“Then why would you!? I mean, we need to help Asgore, I know that, but acting rashly will just get you killed.”

 

“And not acting would get _him_ killed.” The logic in his words was undeniable. “I know how valuable a plan is, but we don’t have the time for one right now. All I can do right now is go out there and fight. I’m an actor, not a writer, and may I be cursed if I don’t do something. I mean…” He rapped his hand on his hips a few times. “… this bucket of mine isn’t exactly tin foil!”

 

“Titanium magi-steel alloy, among the hardest metals in monster knowledge,” I confirmed. Still, a strong body wouldn’t be much benefit against that level of killing intent. There was no second way to think about it. He knew he was going to die, but was going to do it anyway, because he thought he had to. A man on a mission is a hard thing to stop.

 

“Here, just, take this.” I handed him a blue, rolled up sheet of heavy duty MTT brand paper. It was the only brand I trusted with my blueprints. “It’s the final designs for your upgraded battle body. You’ll need to reconfigure a few of the fine details to work within the materials you have currently installed, but it might give you a better chance.”

 

His hand brushed against mine for a moment as he took it, gratitude radiating through the contact. He pocketed the paper, drawing it into his central scanner. His hand came back with something else, pushing it into mine.

 

“I believe a certain someone intended this for you.” I gasped, the cold magi-steel spear bringing back so many memories. I think we made this one together shortly after her uber sword, and she gifted it to me incase I ever needed her help when she wasn’t there. I felt my eyes moisten. “I won’t be needing it where I’m going. Defense purposes only, and I’m effectively on the offensive.”

 

“Thank you, Alphys. You’ve always been a great friend. Fare thee well.” And like that, he was gone. I didn’t know how to feel. There went my second best friend, one of the only two people remaining who knew me as more than the nervous Royal Scientist.

 

“Action…”

 

-

 

I stood my ground in the final chamber of the Core, uploading the schematics to my central transformation grid. Alphys was truly the most brilliant monster I knew. If I had all of the correct parts, this form would have been invincible. As it stood, I would have to work with insanely powerful.

 

Those slow, even footsteps that had engrained their way into my subconscious filled the hallway outside. The door slid open to reveal the human, its eyes lighting up as it realized who it was looking at. You wanted me, now you have me. Let’s see just how much of me you can chew.

 

“Greetings, human. I know I said I wanted no part of you, but then I had a startling realization.” My body slowly booted back up, already shifting around inside. I kept my exterior from changing just yet, knowing good timing might dishearten my opponent. The security cameras were rolling, recording my last, and hopefully finest, performance.

 

“Should you return to the surface, there would be nothing standing between you and the rest of humanity, and that just won’t do! A star is nothing without astronomers to watch it, so I’m afraid I’ll have to draw the line here. Take one more step, and I’ll show you exactly what I’m made of.” If anything, my threat just seemed to entice it more, lumbering towards me with its knife outstretched. I could see my image in what little clear surface it had left, as though the weapon itself desired to take my Soul.

 

“Alright then, darling. Showtime!” I raised as high as I could, my surface finally giving in to the transformation. Portable fog machines obscured my form, protecting me against a preemptive strike while my fragile wiring was exposed.

 

My monopedal stance was first to go, splitting down the middle as the tire was whisked away. I was soon bipedal, sleek, stylish boots capping off my new legs. The bulk of my torso went next, slimming down into a powerful, humanoid form. Great wings of pure magic sprawled from my back.

 

My soft left glove was replaced by a more stable titanium covering, the right becoming a large energy turret. Atop my torso, a neck sprouted, soon followed by the rest of my head. My new eyes became operational, sweeping the battlefield as my new hair became a touch more spiky. Couldn’t resist touching me up with some of your anime designs, could you?

 

As the fog cleared, the human saw my new form. The blocky Mettaton of yesterday was no more. His time in the spotlight had ended, and now it was mine.

 

“Behold, vile creature, the visage of Mettaton NEO!” My battle call resonated within the very depths of the Core, those gorgeous lights illuminating every inch of the field. It was unfortunate that my foe didn’t have an aversion to such flashing lights, licking its lips as it charged me. I pointed the blaster its way, letting loose with a torrent of raw energy.

 

It responded in kind, swinging around the beam with all the agility of a gymnast. I backed away, using my wings to try staying above its field of range. It did little good, the creature leaping up to try slashing at my ankles. If it hadn’t tried murdering everyone I know and care for, I would have hired it to my newest production no questions asked. One only sees moves like that perhaps twice in a lifetime.

 

I landed on the floor behind it, energy pulsing in the cannon. It backpedalled quickly, trying to stop my charging laser. It was just a smidgen too slow, being caught in a pointblank blast.

 

Before I could celebrate my direct shot, I felt my arm being thrown aside. My balance went with it, my entire body jerking the same way. As the bright light dimmed, the human was upon me. In one strike, its blade was planted at the joint in the base of my throat.

 

It looked like insanely powerful wasn’t powerful enough. The knife was pulled out, the human snickering as my dumbfounded expression twisted. My poker face was failing me, death breaking down the barriers in my mind. It looked like I was paying the price for the body I wanted oh so badly. I knew despair wouldn’t do anyone any good, so I just put on a small, cheesy smile.

 

“I… guess you won’t… be joining my fan club?” As my electronics started failing, I felt my link to the camera systems fizzing in and out. I was tuned to the set behind the force fields, Alphys front and center. Her tears were getting all over her monitor. At least she was safe. The same couldn’t be said for me, my eyes flickering in and out, just like the lights in the chamber…

 

Wait, the lights shouldn’t have been flickering. Come to think of it, they shouldn’t have responded to my voice in the first place. Alphys was muttering about their purpose once, going over notes that looked like hand-based gibberish. What did she say again? Oh, right, that meant something was wrong with the system. Specifically, a router had been busted. Guess that was the end of focusing all energy to one place for the time being…

 

Oh my God. The force fields operated like that. My eyes shot open, trailing up at the human’s laughter. In its left hand was a mess of wires, sprawling from the back of a damaged router.

 

“Looking for this?” The threat was lost to me, my mind going into overdrive with what little energy I had left. It knew the purpose of that device, and exactly where everyone was lined up. It was as though it had set it up as the perfect buffet table.

 

“You filthy savage…” Outrage sparked in me. I still had a little time left, but not much. I had to elongate it somehow, but I wasn’t certain… Oh, duh. I was a robot, and this was the most powerful generator in the known world. If I could hook myself into the mainframe, it might hold me together for a little longer.

 

I quickly grabbed a wire, pulled from my now loose neck, forcing it into the floor. The connection was instant, electricity flooding my circuits. It was like the flaws in my body, caused by a lack of usable materials, were being patched by an overclocked state.

 

Further down, I felt the main processes of the Core echoing in the back of my mind. If I had enough time, maybe I could manually reconnect the force fields. Picked up that little trick when Alphys had me hooked up to her main computer for an update. She didn’t like me poking around in her fanfiction folders much.

 

The human didn’t like the look on my face, nor the fact that my disintegration had been postponed. It kept driving that knife into as many open joints as it could find. With every hit, my remaining life force grew smaller and smaller. But I couldn’t give up just yet. Not with all my fans, not with all those innocents, depending on me.

 

“The show isn’t over yet, baby!” From their position, it couldn’t quite see my right arm moving. The look of surprise as the barrel was planted on its chest was priceless, and it only got better when I fired. The force of the blast pushed it far away, slamming into the far wall. They seemed dazed, buying me more precious time.

 

There, a hole in the system. Just need to code in a secondary path, that’s all. It was a rather simple process. By the time the human got back to its feet, the energy was flowing once again, streaming through a new route between New Home and Alphys’s lab. How the two were connected was beyond me, but it was a handy coincidence. The lights returned to normal, signaling the error had been fixed.

 

“Why won’t you just die!?” Oh my, it seemed the little savage was angry. How nice.

 

“Because I still had an appointment to attend. It’s been taken care of now, don’t worry.” My left leg started giving out under my weight. I took it as a sign that my allotted time had expired. “It looks like the third act is just about over. I suppose it’s time for our grand finale!” I put as much power into my other leg as possible, leaping over to the human. My arms were still in top condition, clinging to it with all my strength.

 

“What are you doing!?”

 

“Oh, you know us celebrity types, darling. We always insist on going out with a bang!” My core had great timing, overloading just as I said that. The loud, repetitive beeps gave away my intentions almost instantly, the human scrambling to hack my arms off. “What a nasty child, damaging the merchandise. Well, you break it, you buy it. Or should I say, bite it?”

 

“Let go of me, you psycho!”

 

“As though you’re one to talk.” I could feel the eyes on me. To most, I would imagine such a sensation to be unnerving. To me, it meant I was doing my job right. Everyone saw me at my peak, giving it my all on stage. It was fulfilling. Perhaps, somewhere in the afterlife, there would be a new stage waiting for me. “You’ve been a great audience!”

 

I heard a great, rumbling boom, then I heard no more.

 

-

 

As Mettaton’s fragments scattered across the room, the explosion was drowned out by my own deep, shaky gasps. It was like the blast had taken a part of me as well. I was able to keep watching, though, catching sight of the human. Somehow, it had survived. It was horribly injured, limping away on one leg, but it was alive. As it left, it made sure to step on Metta’s still intact, smiling face plate, shattering it.

 

“you’ll pay for that.” Sans was muttering to himself. When I looked, he was even worse than before. His fury was barely restrained, left eye socket completely engulfed by that blue fire. Various rocks around him were lifting from the ground, the air shaking under the force of his magic.

 

“hear me, runt? YOU WILL PAY.” Before I could even get a word in, he was gone, static taking his old place for a brief moment. With him went the last of my control, falling to the floor. Somewhere, under all the tears and self loathing, there was something else. It was strong, yet unstable, contained only by my own inability to grasp it. That small ember of unbridled rage burned on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? Metta's just too fabulous to be completely shafted like in canon.


	4. Encrouching Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the sky falls, brimstone running in place of water, is anywhere truly safe?

The rest of that awful day was just a blur to me. Only a few moments of clarity shined through the fog. I recall Sans standing his ground in the old Wedding Hall. It was the most impressive fight anyone could put up, everyone else watching bamboozled by the sudden influx of power. Never judge a book by its cover.

 

I couldn’t help but notice some sort of weird distortions throughout the match. It was like I fell asleep for just a moment, eyes opening to an unchanged scene. My senses were screaming at me, telling me that thing should have died a few hundred times already. Considering just how many shots it took full on, I had to agree.

 

Eventually, inevitably, Sans died, too. But he did it in the most Sans way I could think of. Cool as the morning snow, he just wandered off behind a pillar, saying something about Grillby’s.

 

I switched my cameras for a moment and, yeah, that’s exactly where he went. He dropped of a few gold pieces on the counter, levitating a bottle of ketchup his way. He leaned back, taking a big swig, managing to wipe a little from his chin before falling to dust. He had taken care of his own funeral rights, remains covering his favorite bar stool and jacket. Grillby wiped under his eyes with a flame retardant handkerchief.

 

By the time Asgore followed him to the grave, I was numb inside. The only thing left was that little flame, but I didn’t have the energy to take it. I was drained, my hollow corpse filled by the mad laughter of the human.

 

I hazily noted that its entire form had changed, no longer looking like two people in the same spot. Now it was just one kid, wearing a green sweater with a yellow stripe. Its eyes were pinpricks, overshadowed by the red mist leaking from their sockets. Endogeny wrapped itself around me, comforting me like it had every time I seemed down in its presence. I absentmindedly stroked its head, welcoming the distraction, even if it didn’t help all that much.

 

-

 

An hour or so passed, but the human hadn’t left yet. It confused me at first. It had Asgore’s Soul. Pairing that with its own would be more than enough to allow passage through the barrier. Actually, on second glance, the barrier was gone entirely. Had I not been thinking on other matters, I would have questioned it, as well as the empty Soul vessels lining the ground. Instead of leaving, it backtracked deeper underground. I wasn’t sure where it was going.

 

I got my answer when it found its way back outside my lab, staring at us through the force field. I quickly pushed my way to the front of the pack, staring it down. As soon as I emerged, it cackled again. I would hear that voice in my nightmares for the rest of my life.

 

“Hi there, Alphys. Wonderful weather, isn’t it?” Wait, it was… talking to me, not vaguely at me? I kept my expression as stony as possible, but inside a storm of paranoia was brewing.

 

“It could be better. Kind of _dusty_ out if you ask me.”

 

“I know! It’s great, right?” From the churning clouds, fear and disgust emerged. Its taunts were only held back by the wall between us.

 

“No, I’m afraid I’m allergic to mass homicide.” It seemed crestfallen at that, but I could tell it really didn’t care. The human was a horrible actor.

 

“Oh come on, I worked hard out there to make as much anarchy as possible. The least you could do is address my actions properly.” Its face lit up in a wide, toothy grin. Its eyes somehow got smaller, almost hidden behind their fog. “Call it genocide! Nothing less would do!”

 

“Get a dictionary, creep.” I did the only thing I could, go total nerd mode at it. “Genocide is defined as the complete eradication of a race or species, and, last I checked, there are still monsters in here. What you did was attempted genocide at best.”

 

“Great, the big shot left for last is some sort of teacher. Oh well, I hate those enough anyway. Here, let me fix my mistake _ma’am._ ” The snark in its tone was grating. It started smacking against the wall with its knife again, the dull thud sending chills down everyone’s spines. I put a hand against my head, blocking my field of vision.

 

“You already tried that, genius. Guess that’s how they got the definition of insa…” My rant was cut short as a weird crackling hit my ears, alongside the other monsters gasping. It was like static electricity. I looked up, and my heart went down.

 

The tip of the knife was poking through the barrier. Now that I was watching, the human dragged it down, the hole slowly getting bigger. I backed up, one step at a time, before turning and bolting. We didn’t have long until it made that wall useless, and I needed to open up an emergency exit.

 

“Everyone, follow me!” No one argued, screaming in a massive wave of bodies right behind me. I fiddled with my key ring as I ran, hunting down the one that we needed. I jammed it into the lock, opening the passage Metta had taken earlier.

 

I let everyone pass me, intent on being at the back of the herd. I thought I was the last one, but a glance told me otherwise. Mrs. Drake was just standing there, looking at the human. It seemed surprised, not knowing what to make of her. It must not have been familiar with the Amalgamates.

 

“y… you hur… t sn… o… wy. you… m…made h…im gone…”

 

“Wow, you must be some sort of rare subspecies, right? I wonder what kind of _cool_ loot you’ve got? Heh, cool, I kill me.” It tried swinging at her, but that didn’t work too well. As the blade drew near, her body contorted, flowing smoothly out of the way. For a few seconds, she expanded outwards, a wall of mutated monster flesh.

 

“NO MORE HURT!” Her scream deafened the human, reeling back in pain as it grasped its ears. I took my chance, grabbing the now normal (by Amalgamate standards) Mrs. Drake and booking it.

 

I wasn’t quick, not by any stretch of the imagination. I was an anime nerd who was horribly out of shape. I was doing well just to run for more than thirty seconds without slowing down. The human, though, was very much in shape, as was evident by the numerous piles of dust we passed. It was almost caught up to me by the time I reached New Home.

 

“C’mon, die already!” No, I had to keep running. If I died, Mrs. Drake wouldn’t have it in her to keep going. With enough time, the human would figure out a way to kill her, too. I couldn’t let that happen, but running was so hard. It felt like my heart was beating out of my chest, the ceremonial drums played as the lamb is sacrificed to the wolf. I thought it was the end, a swing of the knife coming directly for my neck.

 

Suddenly, my speed drastically increased, even though I wasn’t running any harder. In fact, my legs weren’t even on the ground anymore. Two taloned feet had grabbed me by the shoulders, carrying me over the city. It was a much quicker way than the normal ground paths. I looked up, Reaper Bird carrying us away.

 

“That’s a relief. Thanks for looking out for Mrs. Drake, guys.” It tried talking to me, but it was all a garbled mess. I had worked out how to pull Bird’s three distinct voices apart, the rough translations being as follows.

 

“She wasn’t our only ally left behind.”

 

“You matter, too, and you’re dim if you think otherwise!”

 

“Ribbit.”

 

I think that one was my favorite. My eyes watered, bottom lip quivering. “Me? But… but…” My question went unspoken, us landing in front of Asgore’s castle. We had a welcoming party, the other Amalgamates all waiting outside of the main gate. They jumped, taking us all in an amorphous hug. I did my best to return the favor.

 

“Thanks, guys. You’re all the best.” One of them wiped my tears away, each pulling back into their own individual being. Way out in the distance, I heard someone running our way. “We need to get out of here. If we can make it to the surface, we should have a far better chance of hiding.”

 

I was about to start running again, but Endogeny wouldn’t let me. It picked me up, dropping me on its back like it was some sort of horse. I scratched behind its ears, thankful to be off my feet. If I survived this, I was so going on an exercise routine.

 

My little band of misfits slinked through the castle, respectfully not touching any of the king’s belongings. We stopped only long enough to pay him our last respects, knowing the garden he fell over was among the few things he cherished anymore. Pleasantries given, we were on our way to the surface. If only it weren’t under such horrible circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How be my version of the Amalgamates so far? They've always been fluid in depiction.


	5. Hidey Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stowed away from prying eyes, one may speak without pressure.

So this is what the surface was like. I could make a few guesses based on what my anime collection showed me, but it didn’t even touch the real thing. This sunlight was so warm, and the air was so clean. I wasn’t sure I could go back to living underground after getting a taste of this. Fortunately, I didn’t think that was a possibility. Unfortunately, it was because we heard the human rushing our way.

 

“We need somewhere to hide.” Even moving at top speed, it would still be faster than us. Only Reaper Bird could reach a higher velocity, but I don’t think it could carry all of us at the same time. A pebble bouncing along the ground caught my attention.

 

“Psst, over here!” It was Lansot, motioning for us with his tail. “We’ve got a place all to ourselves, no killer humans allowed! You guys are cool, though.” Well, that was convenient.

 

We followed along, but got worried upon seeing a dead end, a path down the mountain that abruptly stopped. There was a set of descending cliffs that we might have been able to jump from safely, but I wouldn’t bet my gold on that being the right way. My fright got worse when he started to headbutt the wall.

 

“Guys, Alphys is here, open up!” The wall right in front of him did just that, a chunk of rock sliding backwards. It moved off to one side, revealing Grillby and a large, open room. In the glow of his fire, I saw Lansot’s father and Bun Bun. They looked delighted to see us.

 

“Well, it took you long enough to show up. Human give you some troubles on the way?” It was kind of weird how she kept up the friendly shopkeeper attitude, but it was also pretty nice.

 

“That’s the understatement of the year.” We took up our own seats, leaning against the wall. The Memory Heads voluntarily acted as pillows, making the stone a bit more comfortable. Grillby pushed the large stone block back into place, cutting off the sunlight. So much for ‘no more living underground.’

 

“It’s good to see you got here alright,” Lansot’s father chipped in. “We were half sure you got caught. It’s a good thing my boy followed his gut, otherwise you’d still be out there.” I smiled appreciatively at Lansot, Endogeny nuzzling him. Those two really got along well.

 

“Say, where did everyone else go?” Looking around, it was just those four in the room. I could have sworn there were over two hundred monsters in the safe zone. The crackling from Grillby sounded somewhat like a scoff for a second.

 

“Those guys booked it as soon as they got topside.” Lansot seemed a lot more sour mentioning them. “I mean, they just scattered. But there’s no way we’d leave you behind. You all are good pals, so leaving you hanging here was the last thing on my mind.”

 

“Mm hm, same here. You’re the one here who knows the most about the surface world. Even if it’s only a few small things, it’s better than nothing. Besides, you saved all of us back in Hotland. I don’t think there’s anyone else fit to be the leader.” Bun was that good mix of pragmatic and nice that people value in a team.

 

“Leader? I just took the reins back in the Underground. I’m not so sure I’d do as well up…” Grillby got my attention by burning a bit louder. The sounds coming out of him started varying a little, his head tilting at different intervals. Gosh, he really had a way with words. No wonder people liked his place so much.

 

“Well, okay. If you insist.” A light, confirming chatter filled the little room, but fell silent at the sound of footsteps. It was that slow, methodical shuffling we had come to know so well, right outside our door.

 

“Coulda’ sworn I heard someone out this way. Oh well, maybe I’ll find a Froggit down in the woods or something.” With a grunt, it started hopping, each impact with the ground farther and farther away. I guess the cliff path worked better than I thought. We all let out a breath we were holding at once.

 

“That never gets easier.” Lansot was shivering in place, Lemon Bread rubbing where his shoulders would be. It was messed up that the youngest one here was the one who got the closest to dying so many times.

 

“Alright, I think it’s time we got a plan going. As cozy as it is in here, we won’t be getting enough food and water to survive by sticking around.”

 

“Well, what do you suggest?” Lansot’s father asked. “Take your time if you need it. It’ll be a while before any of us will actually need something.” That was a reassuring thought, though I knew better than to get complacent. We were still on a timer, just a fairly long one.

 

Human cities should have had enough food to keep us going, for the right price. I dug through my pockets, a heavy pouch of gold pieces sitting at the bottom. There wouldn’t be any worries on that end. We just had to hope they didn’t outright reject us. It had been a long time since monsters and humans had met face to face, and the first encounter wasn’t exactly a good omen…

 

That’s when it hit me.

 

“It’s going to kill them all.”

 

“What was that?” Lansot’s father and Bun seemed disturbed by my outburst, Grillby looking on in understanding.

 

“I was watching the human over my cameras the whole time down there. When it was facing Undyne, she asked if that was what they had in mind for the rest of humanity, too. It just laughed and nodded at her.”

 

“Oh man, that’s brutal.”

 

“You really thought they’d do anything less, kid? That thing’s out of its mind.”

 

“If it finds its way to a human settlement, it’ll be a slaughter, just like what happened to us. Innocent people, dead by the hundreds, if not thousands.” The weight settled on us like a thick cloak.

 

“What should we do?” I thought for a moment, eyes scanning the room. I needed to consider the abilities of everyone we had on hand.

 

“Bun, you consider yourself a good negotiator, right?”

 

“More or less, yeah. What do you have in mind?”

 

“Would you be willing to go on ahead and warn the nearest city?” She looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

 

“I’d love to, but I’m not fast enough to keep up with that thing, so forget about getting past it safe and sound.” Reaper Bird already knew where I was going, pulling itself to its feet.

 

“You aren’t, but Bird is. If you two go fast enough and convince them to evacuate, you might be able to get more than a few of them out of harm’s way.”

 

“And,” Lansot’s father added, “That would keep the human kid from getting any stronger.” It was good to have someone there to back me up, helping me appeal to both sides of her thought process. She gave in with a sigh.

 

“I guess I’ve always been curious what it would be like to fly. You ready, feathers?” It reeled back and cawed, wing muscles tensing. “Alright, alright, settle down now! We’ll need all that energy on the road. What are you guys doing in the mean time?” A Memory Head started orbiting around her, humming its dial up tone. My phone started ringing, prompting me to answer.

 

“Yeah?” Imagine the surprise when my voice came out of the Amalgamate’s mouth. That gave me an idea. “It looks like we can stay in touch now. Maybe I could keep an eye on the human for you. You know, give you a general idea of how long you have.”

 

Endogeny was already on board, slipping under me and into its steed form again. Good boy. That left Lemon Bread and two more Memory Heads without tasks. I wasn’t sure Mrs. Drake would be up to work, leaving her out. Oh, and I should think up something for Lansot and…

 

“I have an idea!” It looked like he had me covered. “This place is, like, wicked rocky, right? From what I saw, there are just little paths between cliffs going on for miles. If I can block off the route ahead of it, maybe it would slow the human down!” The thought ran around my head for a minute, my disposition towards it becoming more and more positive.

 

“Yeah, it usually only moves at a slow shamble anyway. If you can stay undetected, you might be able to keep up or outpace it.”

 

“That’s far too risky!” Oh, right, we kind of forgot that his father was right there. Oops. “You all know what that thing can do, but you think my boy should go out there and risk his life for humans? He’s already been too close to that thing, to death. If he died out there, I don’t think I could take it.”

 

“Please, reconsider! This situation is too important to just let be. We need his help.” My words weren’t getting through to him.

 

“Absolutely not. I know you’re smart, I know you’re worth respecting, but I can’t bring myself to…”

 

“Dad, I’m going.” For several seconds after, you could have heard a pin drop. “I know I could die out there, and I know that you’re worried about me. But I also know what that thing can do to people. I’ve seen it first hand. You weren’t there, when it fought Undyne. One shot. That was all it needed. Just sitting back while that junk hits people who don’t deserve it, that’s messed up.”

 

“Lansot, honestly. What would you’re mother say?”

 

“Do you know what she’d say? She’d say just how much she hates what’s going on. She’d want someone to go out there and stop it. And I know she wouldn’t want what happened to us happening to anyone else.” For someone so young, he really knew his stuff. His father couldn’t fight it for long.

 

“Oh, alright. Just, please, if things get too rough, get out of there. I don’t want to lose you to it, too.” Lansot jumped at him, wrapping himself around him in a close approximation of a hug.

 

“I promise. Besides, I have one of the best bodyguards in the business. Isn’t that right, Lemon?” The monster in question flexed, muscles bulging as its grin grew wicked.

 

“Let’s do it!” As a side note, it was nice it could still speak normally, but did it really have to shout everything? In the middle of a sealed off cave no less? My eardrums were rattling when Grillby took a spot next to it, straightening his glasses.

 

“You too, Grill? Awesome! See, Dad, nothing to worry about.”

 

“Okay, but remember your promise.” Mrs. Drake waddled over to him, hopping up to the top of his head. “I guess I’ll keep an eye on her in the mean time. At least try to be useful.”

 

“Okay, that should be everyone.” The last two Heads took up a spot by the new teams. “If anything goes wrong, the Memory Heads can keep us in the loop. Don’t lose them or we’ll lose contact and be forced to assume the worst. Am I clear?”

 

“Ma’am, yes, Ma’am!” Okay, that was even worse. Sensing my discomfort, Endogeny pushed the stone door open, letting any residual sound waves loose to the world. It was a relief for my poor, battered ears.

 

“You ready? Operation, uh…”

 

“Air Hare?”

 

“Oh, that’s good, Bun. Operation Air Hare is a go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the hidey hole. Good for escaping both suicide shrubs and stab happy demon children.


	6. Stemming the Flood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the seemingly impossible task is the most crucial to accomplish.

“Okay, Doc, passing the human now. If it knows we’re up here, it isn’t showing it.”

 

“Good work, Bun. Stay above the cloud line if you can.” It was paramount that it didn’t see any of us in the early stages.

 

“Don’t think that’ll be too hard. You said these thick ones meant rain, right?” I looked up, confirming her suspicions. A sheet of them had coated the sky, darkening by the minute. The only experiences we had with water dripping from above were due to the perpetually moist ceilings of Waterfall and Snowdin, though the latter was too cold for anything but snow.

 

“Yeah. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, especially when you’re high enough up. Just be ready for the water layer as you go through.”

 

“And you shouldn’t worry about that. I’m sitting on a big drop of water right now, no offense.” A light chirp came over the line. It took a lot to get under Bird’s skin. “How’s everyone else doing?”

 

“Lemon, Grill, and me found a few boulders up on the cliffs. We’re ready to push them down whenever.”

 

“That’s Lemon, Grill, and I, Son.” The following groan came through loud and clear. “Oh, and, uh, Mrs. Drake and I are alright. Taking cover in the canyon out to your left, Alphys.” I glanced that way, finding Lansot’s father peeking at me from inside an alcove a mile off. They would be safe there for the time being.

 

“Okay, getting a visual on the human now. It’s still just, kind of, shuffling along.” At its current pace, Endogeny had no trouble keeping up with it. We were lucky for the natural Amalgamate composition, being too soft to make any noticeable sounds as we creeped along.

 

“That’s good. I think I see a town out in the distance. Reminds me of Snowdin.” It looks like we stumbled on a small village. That’s also good. A larger city would have taken longer to convince and evacuate. Getting humans from a smaller place on our side would be much faster, and it might even convince more stubborn settlements to get out ahead of time.

 

“You’re clear to proceed. Remember, try to be as gentle as possible. The last thing we need is them attacking us, too.”

 

“Yeah, no pressure at all.” A soft cooing crossed the line. “It’s fine, just trying to crack a joke, that’s all. I guess those goofy skeletons got to me after all.” Several moments passed, my lack of response worrying her. “Oh, uh, too soon?”

 

“No, not at all.” I had to shake off any bad vibes that surfaced. All they would do now was dishearten the group. “In fact, you should talk about them more often. Them and everyone else. Remembering what we lost already might make trying to save what’s left a bit easier.”

 

“Wow, Alph, and they say I’m good with words.”

 

“Aye aye, Captain! No way we’re forgetting those guys.” Seeing as Lansot had seen _her..._ going first hand (no pun intended. Darn it, Sans, you really were infectious.), it only made his agreement more powerful. “Hey, is it almost in position?”

 

Right, right, had to keep an eye on it. The human was still trudging along. About fifty feet ahead of and another fifty above it, hidden behind a cluster of boulders , I spotted Lansot’s team already prepped to start pushing. Lemon Bread was helping the kid with his, Grillby taking another one solo. I ran a few numbers in my head. Approximate rock density, effect of gravity, the human’s path…

 

“Start going in three…” The sound of earth crunching filled my ear, them adopting a better stance. “…two, one…” I felt my sweat glands acting up, nerves taking their toll. “…Now!”

 

Muscles strained against rock, dirt piled on their sides shaking loose. With a loud crash, they tumbled down the near vertical cliff face. The human’s ears perked, flinging itself back just in time to avoid being crushed. The path in front of it was completely blocked, the new wall far too high for most creatures to scale.

 

“Mission accomplished, team. Repeat, the route is blocked. Come on back and…” The human’s eyes trailed along the top of the ridges to its right. As soon as the boulders went down, they all retreated back out of its field of vision, so it couldn’t have seen them, right? Its grin grew as its movements slowed, looking directly where Lansot’s squad had been.

 

“Oh no…”

 

-

 

“Oh no what, Alphys? C’mon, talk to me!” The little one’s harsh whispers were getting more and more frantic. Ten long seconds had passed since the procedure was declared successful. What should have been a triumphant moment was instead among the most tense I had ever seen. And that’s saying something, considering what monsters are capable of after having too much to drink.

 

“Get out of there!” The Doctor’s once quiet tone, used to avoid detection, had become a harsh screech. There was little time to argue, a series of clicks climbing towards us. Knowing we were already spotted, I dared to look down the side. The human was being all too resourceful, using the cracks in the wall formed by the tumbling rocks for leverage. It was ascending towards us, that horrible gleam in its red eyes.

 

I didn’t waste a moment longer, letting a flow of flame leave my body. It wasn’t too large, for fear of burning up too much energy at once, but it was enough to slow their progress. Many of the footholds were smoothed over in the wake, forcing it to find a less expedient route. I pointed forward, gesturing my friends to hurry that way.

 

“But, that’s where the village is.” I motioned again, this time lower, pointing directly at an old looking rope bridge between here and there. “Okay, that makes a lot more sense.” Arguments used up, Lansot made haste for hopeful safety. Lemon and I followed suit.

 

The child’s balance wasn’t the best, however, often ending up face first on the ground. I would have picked him up, but I’m afraid flames aren’t much more safe than knives. Lemon got the idea, though, placing him on his shoulder and holding him in place with a flex. That one, though needlessly loud, had a brutishly effective method.

 

We had shortened the gap a considerable amount when we heard that laughter upon us. The human had made its way up the cliff at last, eyes once more trained on us. It licked its lips as it ran, moving at thrice our party’s speed. It would only be half a minute or so before our paths collided. Fortunately, it was but a quarter of the same measure before we made contact with the bridge. I was the last to cross, making sure not to touch it on the way. One spark would have ignited the entire structure.

 

I did a swift head count. Two Amalgamates, one young monster, and one me. Excellent. I gazed across the ravine, counting one human crossing it at an unnatural pace. That was even better. Now that we were on solid ground, I felt no shame as I tapped a pinkie to the support ropes on either side.

 

The effect was immediate, tethers snapping as the blaze ate away at them. It fell from our side, the human falling from its unstable footing to the hard earth below. It landed with a satisfying thud. Normally, I wouldn’t relish that little moment as much as I did. But, considering all the dust on that scoundrel’s hands, it was only a natural response.

 

“You dirty little sack of matches!” I would regale you with the rest of the human’s insults, but I’m afraid that this is the only one worthy of being mentioned in polite company. Did its mother not know how to raise it properly, or did it just not care for her that much? I personally vote on the latter.

 

“Watch your language!” At least Lansot’s taunts were of a tasteful composition.

 

“Or we’ll drop another rock!” As I said, brutish method. I couldn’t help but chuckle a little as we turned and ran again, understanding that we had only bought ourselves perhaps another minute before it scaled to our altitude once more.

 

As the path descended, we found ourselves in a great bowl of solid rock. The edges were smooth, making them an impossible surface to climb. On the far side, a crack in the wall opened wide enough to permit exit. Beyond that tree line, I caught glimpses of the human village. Any life in that place was rushing the exact opposite direction, herded from above by Miss Bun. At least she held up her end of the plan, a feat we had seemingly failed at, the murderous one mere moments from entering this place.

 

That’s when I had an idea. On each side of the far opening, tall spires of rock rose. Knocking those over just right would plug up the hole, buying those on the other side more time. Looking closer, there was a thin layer of paraffin at their bases. On top of being a show of the odd geography of the area, it also had a fairly low melting point. All I needed was a little boost and I could handle that task easily enough. I stopped right before the gate, pulling out a flask from my back pocket.

 

“What’s wrong, Grill?” Lemon had stopped, too, though he was already past the point of no return. Lansot was staring on questioningly from his shoulder. All I could answer with was a finger aimed to the village. “We can’t leave you behind, man!” You were always too good for that, weren’t you? I slowly opened the cap, that strong, high quality alcohol already stirring up my flames.

 

“We have to go!”

 

“But Lemon, what about…?”

 

“He is on a mission. To stop him would shame us all.” He was the last one I would envision as a philosopher. “Good luck, friend.” I bowed my head, not watching as they sped away. I turned back just in time to find the human.

 

“Okay, that’s it. You’re getting hosed, man.” I wouldn’t be so certain of that. I tipped my drink, downing it in one fell gulp. It was the best I could get my hands on in the Underground, reserved for special occasions. Even as I thought this, my body began to turn a soft blue. The human seemed shocked, my new color sparking up a dumbfounded look.

 

I used the opening well. My sleeves were rolled up, arms pointed skyward. I let another stream of fire go, rushing up just right. Those thin sheets of paraffin didn’t last long, the columns soon becoming unstable. They toppled over, plugging up the wall, much to the human’s chagrin.

 

“What are you trying to do!? Stupid matchstick, that’s how I was supposed to progress.” And here I was, not finding a single care for its worries. Still, that edge was still pretty rugged. I would have to melt it down. A yell erupted behind me, getting closer and closer. If I was lucky, that battle charge would lead it into severe burns.

 

I let my careful control slip, body spreading to encompass more and more of the bowl. The human screamed, a fulfilling noise if there ever was one. I would have looked, but I was preoccupied. I focused myself towards the spires, their edges flattening under the heat. Soon, it was just another smooth, impassable wall.

 

It was a deed worth being proud of, even as a knife slid into the back of my dress shirt. My core was punctured, killing intent rapidly flooding my system. In a few moments, the overwhelming power would tear me asunder, casting me unto death. It didn’t matter to me. I was able to delay the coming beast, save lives, honor all those patrons whose names I remembered and whose dust now floated in the wind.

 

My mind briefly flashed back to the image of a lone skeleton, enjoying one last sip of his favorite drink. He was almost the glue that held that community together. A single tear slipped out as my body fell to ash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I'm making full use of those death tags. A toast, to the best bartender in gaming! *Deep drink of cherry cola.*


	7. Fleeing the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember, top priority shortly before a natural disaster scenario is to ensure the survival of both you and those around you.

I turned my head away, refusing to look at the massive pillar of fire as it died down. I read about that technique once, last employed by the Flamesmen during the Great Human War. Upon consumption of pure alcohol, their bodies would combust. It was highly effective, yet left their core, the only point in their body receptive to damage, completely exposed. That human wasn’t the type to let such a glaring fault go unexploited.

 

And now, because I was too stupid to come up with a way to keep them safe, to see that we were underestimating the human, another of us was dead. All I knew now was that I couldn’t let Grillby’s sacrifice go to waste. The human’s current route was sealed up. That meant it would be about half an hour, assuming it took the quickest alternate route, until it arrived at the village. There was no time for self pity.

 

Endogeny came to a stop at the edge of town. We looked around, taking in the simple, yet appealing rustic design of the buildings. I guessed that the main city hall was the large one towards the center, its wooden exterior painted a nice shade of red.

 

“You friends or foes?” The deep, harsh voice spooked me, Endogeny swiftly turning to face it head on. Somehow, a human had snuck up on us, holding a metal baseball bat. What was surprising about that was the sheer size of the thing. He could have easily stood shoulder to shoulder with Undyne, maybe even Asgore, and he was pretty bulky in the muscle department. And yet, there was a certain softness to his features, suggesting he was on the younger side. “Brutus asked question.”

 

“Oh, uh, friends. We’re with Bun.” The weight of his gaze became significantly lighter, lowering the bat away from us.

 

“Rabbit lady riding bird? Good, good. Brutus afraid for moment we too late to get people out. Sorry for threatening friends.” He held out an open hand. “Brutus is Brutus.” I politely refrained from pointing out that he had already told me that, instead taking the offered hand shake.

 

“I’m Alphys, and this is Endogeny.” It nuzzled against the underside of his wrist, eagerly accepting the offered head pats.

 

“If Brutus remembers, rabbit said you tracking killer. Where is it?”

 

“The path it was on got blocked up, so we should have at least half an hour until it finds another way here.”

 

“Blocked? You do that?”

 

“No, not me. Did you see that fire spout a minute ago?” He nodded slowly. “Well, that was from a friend of ours. Grillby, a real dependable monster. He patched up that particular way to get here, but… He didn’t make it…” A heavy hand fell on my shoulder.

 

“Grillby sounds like brave man. We make use of gift of time, Brutus promise.” His calm, yet unwavering tone was comforting. “Come, help Brutus find stragglers. No one left behind on Brutus’s watch. We start with Sunnyside.” He led me down one of the smaller side roads, a large building with a fenced off yard sitting near the end.

 

The walls around it were tall, composed of thick, black rods. Their tips were like spear heads, all hooked together by solid beams of iron. A sign sitting in the lush, green garden read ‘Sunnyside Orphanage.’

 

As we crossed onto the property, a chill went down my spine. Monsters, as beings of almost pure magic, are more receptive to emotions lingering in the air. This place was somewhat stifling. Not outright bad, mind, but it was certainly not the type of place one would want to stay in too long. Endogeny felt it, too, trying to shake the ever present feeling loose without knocking me off.

 

“Check under children’s beds. Told to hide there when danger comes. Be gentle if friends can.” I nodded, entering the main door. The lobby was kind of nice. The barren room could use a potted plant or two, but it was perfectly serviceable. A set of stairs led to the second floor.

 

“I’m guessing the rooms are up there?” He confirmed it, starting his upward trek. Brutus’s size let him skip every other step, resulting in a much quicker journey than I could have done alone. Fortunately, I had Endogeny, who slid up them like some form of slug.

 

“Girls’ room on left. Brutus search boys’ room.” Opening the door, I immediately felt the tone shift. The air was abuzz with energy, but not the good kind. Whoever was in here last (a large group, if I was feeling things right) was under serious stress. Gee, I wonder why.

 

On second sense, someone was still there. The waves were being disrupted and added to, though I couldn’t pinpoint exactly where. Endogeny had me covered, using the combined abilities of all its component monsters. It kept its footfalls as silent as possible, tip-toeing to a bed at the far side of the room. The closer we got, the more I heard. It sounded like the human was whimpering.

 

“It’s okay. We’re here to help you, alright?” The shaky panic toned down a little, giving way to a voice.

 

“Y-You promise?” It was very high pitched, and squeaked a little.

 

“Yes, I promise. Cross my heart.” My soft tone worked, drawing the human out. When its head poked out from under the frame, I saw that it was a little girl, maybe seven years old. A vibrant pink ribbon was tied into a bow atop her head, and her green eyes were looking at me expectantly. “Hey there, what’re you still doing here?”

 

“Well, I heard a bad person was coming, so I hid down here. It was kind of scary when everyone started running all over, but no one called for me, so I just stayed put. Is the bad person gone?” A hopeful gleam came over her eyes, making me feel even worse for telling her the truth.

 

“No. It’s not even here yet. Brutus wanted me to come get you so we can get far away from it.” Her face lit up at that revelation.

 

“Brutus is here!?”

 

“Uh, yeah… He’s over in the boys’ room. I take it you two are close?”

 

“Yep! He helped me when I skinned my knee at the park. He’s always so nice when we talk.”

 

“Alright. Come with us and we promise to keep you safe.” Her nodding was almost feverish, pulling herself the rest of the way out. She was wearing jean overalls, with a pink and yellow horizontally striped shirt underneath. Her shoes were basic red sneakers.

 

As soon as she was on her feet, Endogeny moved to get her on top of its head. She seemed a bit nervous at first, but calmed down as soon as she recognized the thing she was looking at was a dog. She immediately settled into position, leaning back into my lap as she pet it. We made our way to the hall, where Brutus was waiting for us. Considering his lack of company, I guessed his search turned up with nothing.

 

“Brutus!”

 

“Tina?” The most exquisite concern flooded his features as he ran to our side. “Why Tina still here all alone?” She shied away from his questioning, trying to bury herself in my lab coat.

 

“Sorry, I kind of panicked with everyone else. I didn’t really know what to do, so I just, kind of, hid.” He reached over, rustling her short, pig-tailed, blonde hair lightly.

 

“It okay. So long as Tina safe, Brutus is happy. Is Tina ready to go?” She nodded again, returning to a more natural position. “Good. Alphys, follow Brutus. Brutus show way others went.” Once more, we set out on the narrow roads.

 

“So, he said you were Alphys, right?” I could tell that wasn’t the only thing Tina had on her mind. To be fair, I would have quite a few questions myself with all the recent events in her position.

 

“Mm hm. Is there something you needed to know?”

 

“What exactly are you? Oh! Uh, if you don’t mind me asking.” It was nice to see she was being considerate.

 

“Well, I, personally, am a Minor Wyrm.” Her gaze was blank, not processing what that actually meant. “It means a small dragon without wings.” Okay, she got that one. “Collectively, my people are just called monsters. Our king isn’t… wasn’t good at naming things.”

 

“So, where did you come from? I’ve never heard of people like you before.”

 

“That would make sense. We’ve been locked under Mount Ebott for a very long time.” I felt Brutus’s gaze lingering on me, just out of my field of vision.

 

“Really? The other kids say that place is evil.” I had a sinking feeling I knew where this was going.

 

“How so?”

 

“A lot of people disappear when they go there, so they don’t let anyone near it.”

 

“Alphys not happen to know why?” There was definitely an edge to his voice. I had to be careful proceeding. If they knew what we did with the other humans who ended up there, their trust would vanish, earning us a second group who wanted our dust (though, in this case, it wouldn’t have been unearned.)

 

“Well, the Underground wasn’t exactly the most stable of places. From what I’ve heard, there’s only two ways in at either end of the cave, and the drop for one of them isn’t all that short. Then there’s Snowdin, with sheer cliff faces and consistently subfreezing temperatures. Waterfall is littered with large amounts of falling trash and boulders, all flowing to a deep, dark abyss. Hotland is definitely the worst, being little more than islands floating in the middle of huge pools of magma. Most of the older monsters say that half of us died in the first year of imprisonment.”

 

I put on a melancholy expression. It wasn’t actually that hard since half of the humans did, in fact, die to these sorts of hazards. The other three were all ceaselessly violent, falling to the very monsters they tried to murder.

 

“Half of the time, anyone who came down never really got far. Of course, it’s been about ten years or so since a human did. Barring this one, anyway.” I was beyond thankful to have been friends with a professional actor, the lessons taken from his performances making my own believable. Brutus’s suspicion ended there, going back to his friendly, understanding persona.

 

“Golly, Miss Alphys, why would someone put such nice people in such a bad place?” The innocence of youth at its finest.

 

“Because they were afraid, that’s why.” I held out a single hand, letting my magic flood there. I wasn’t the type to use my powers all that often, preferring works of the mind above all else, but they were still a part of me. A small amount of electricity started crackling along the surface of my palm.

 

“Monsters are made almost entirely of magic. It lets us do a great many things, from cooking food using nothing but our hands to making short lived tools in a snap of the fingers. But those very powers frightened ancient humans, so they locked us away to keep them safe from the ‘scary monsters.’” If you’re wondering, yes, I was rolling my eyes as I said that. Brutus huffed dismissively.

 

“Old humans cowards. Hurt good people for no reason. Brutus spit on graves if Brutus could.” If looks could kill, he would have had just as much of a record as the human chasing us, and the emotions in the air only made that more apparent. He probably would have kept stewing on it if we hadn’t gotten to the edge of town by then.

 

In front of us, the small trickle of remaining residents were taking their leave. Some ran for safety, others travelled at a more relaxed pace, saving their energy for the long haul. Bun and Bird were still floating overhead, making sure the evacuation proceeded smoothly.

 

“Brutus thinks that is last of people.” I let out a sigh of relief, glancing at my watch.

 

“Good, and with twenty minutes to spare.” I raised my voice, calling out to the crowd. “Alright people, let’s move. We need to get to the next closest town before the killer…” A sneeze echoed in the town behind me. It was followed by a slow, shambling set of footsteps and a raspy giggle.

 

“Nya, what’s up, Doc?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now there's a Brutus. Because I like writing him. And a cute little girl. Because I said there was one in the main story flashback. And a Bugs Bunny reference. Do I even need a reason?


	8. Devil's Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Run, Alphys, run! (Yeah, these summaries were getting a bit too stuffy for my tastes. Have a movie reference instead.)

My heart was pounding in my chest, even though it wasn’t me running. Endogeny had a much better reason for exhaustion, carrying Tina and I, as well as the hulking form of Brutus, at breakneck speeds. It’s a good thing Amalgamates don’t feel the weight of heavy activity like most, enabling it to keep going. I’m sure the laughter echoing behind us kept it motivated, too.

 

“Hey, come back! I just wanna show you something!” Not falling for it. I already knew what it was, and I wasn’t particularly interested in the effectiveness of its knife collection. The only thing I wanted at that moment was a plan.

 

The human had given up its leisurely walk, showing off just how dangerously quick it was. Tina tucked away in my lab coat, eyes firmly shut in an attempt to ignore the blood now covering that thing’s blade. It just confirmed that humans weren’t meant to be so fast, that this one was an anomaly.

 

The slow, painful process of planning under pressure was abruptly ended as Brutus stirred behind me. I could feel him trying to stand, using the fluid surface below him for enough traction to remain stable.

 

“Traitor want Brutus? Brutus hopes kid thing chokes on Brutus!” From the pocket of his thick, leather jacket, he pulled out a handful of eggs painted black. I recognized them immediately, a staple weapon of the resourceful human. He crushed them between his hands, throwing a cloud of ground chile peppers and glass shards to the air behind us. As the killer passed through it, its grin completely reversed.

 

“What the heck!?” Its eyes watered up, little pinpricks of blood running from the openings dotted across its flesh. The black egg wasn’t the deadliest tool out there, but it was more than effective, to the point where their original creators had entered legend as nigh-untouchable warriors. Brutus was a smart man, making use of old techniques so well.

 

“Choke on might of Brutus!” And choke it did, collapsing against a tree as it worked to remove the blinding substances from its eyes. The last I saw of it before losing eye contact, it had pulled out a styrofoam cup, most likely one of the instant noodle packages it stole from my fridge. The forest blazed by as Brutus retook his seat.

 

“I-Is it gone?” Tina poked her head out of her hiding spot, looking behind us, her face not quite knowing whether it should switch to relief yet or not.

 

“Sorry, Tina. That’ll slow it down, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stop it for long.” A huff filled the air behind me.

 

“What Alphys mean not enough? And what is kid thing? Brutus knows what human is like, and kid thing was no human.” Gone was the touch of red that had spanned his surface in the thick of combat. In fact, all color had drained from him, leaving a confused, pale stare behind.

 

“I don’t rightly know what it is, but I know that it’s durable. Back in the Underground, it took a class four detonation originating from a source less than a foot away. That’s greater than the simultaneous blast of over twenty stacks of dynamite, and it was back to wanton murder within the hour.” It had to be the monster food it had a seemingly endless supply of. Whenever it took damage, it limped away with a snack before coming back a hundred times angrier than before. I needed a way to cut off its supply. I pulled out my phone, ringing up the Memory Heads.

 

“Bun, how do things look up there?”

 

“Depends, in front of or behind you?” I didn’t need a reminder of what was back there.

 

“Let’s stick with in front.”

 

“Well, there’s certainly a bit of a panic. Not enough to mess up the flow, but we’ll need to keep an eye on it.” Duly noted. “Oh, there’s Lansot and Lemon! They look pretty shaken, but aren’t hurt, at least from what I can see up here. The kid’s dad and Mrs. Drake are there, too.”

 

“Thank goodness. You have no idea how much I was worrying about those guys. Fly down there and check on them if you get a chance, okay?”

 

“On it, Alph. Wait, you might want to keep your eyes pealed, it looks like the human’s back on its feet. What is that thing made out of, anyway?” You mean besides hellfire, nightmares, and dust? Pure malice is probably in there somewhere, too. My mind was spiraling like that until the shivering actually registered. Tina was about ready to burst.

 

“Hey, it’s okay, Tina. We’re here.”

 

“I don’t know, Miss Alphys. That thing keeps on coming. It already got so many people. Are… are we gonna die?” Ugh, right to the heart. Someone so young shouldn’t have to worry about this kind of junk. I wrapped an arm around her, patting her back as I whispered into her ear.

 

“Listen, I don’t know how to stop it. I’m not sure anyone does, but I can promise you, here and now, that I’m not giving up so easily. I’ll make sure you and everyone else still alive stays that way, as long as I can.” Her shaking slowed, a pair of little arms curling around me. She was still whimpering, but it sounded kind of… relieved.

 

“Thank you, Miss Alphys, thank you…” Something deep down, almost primal, started to stir. It was like my heart was on fire, a raging inferno that slowly filled my veins. My magic came alive, boiling just beneath the surface. I realized then what it was, that little ember of rage that had been growing as I moped.

 

Now though, it was drawn to the forefront of my Soul. The weight of my friends’ and family’s dust, the hollowness of losing all I had worked for, the tears of an innocent child, they all fed the flame. My epiphany was interrupted by the swift, uneven running pattern of the human catching up to us again.

 

“You’re gonna be bleeding for that rotten egg, you leathery sack of…” Whatever taunt it was going to use got stymied by the direct impact of several black eggs, chucked by their owner in frustration. Its screams of agony (whose content was so severe that I was forced to plug Tina’s ears) were viscerally satisfying in a way I never knew. It disappeared into the distance once more as my brain worked overtime on that plan.

 

“Bun, where’s the next large open space on this trail?” I knew things like that just sort of popped out of the ether when you needed them most. Don’t ask me how. We’ll just call it a hunch for now. I fished around my pockets for something I had been working on that morning.

 

“It’s just ahead of you, maybe three miles off.” Good, plenty of time to finish these things.

 

“Brutus, how many more black eggs do you have on hand?” There was a pause as he checked.

 

“Brutus has enough for two, maybe three more throws.” Also good. I couldn’t work in peace with a knife in my spine. “What Alphys thinking?” From my coat, I produced a handful of wide, thick disks of metal. Wires extended from my watch to them, a programming interface automatically activating.

 

“Something crazy, but it’s all I have.” My fingers tapped away at the watch’s touch screen, accidentally opening up one of the devices. The cover slid off to reveal the wide barrel of a gun. Tina was in the perfect position to get a look.

 

“Is that a…?”

 

“A turret, yes. I’ve been working on defensive measures back in the Underground for a while, but these babies have yet to be finished.” A screwdriver was next to surface. “Here’s hoping I’m good enough to do it on the fly.”

 

“Alphys.” All emotion had left Brutus’s voice, the cold recognition of my intentions setting in. “What is Alphys’s plan?” I took a deep breath, already knowing what their response would be.

 

“I’m drawing a line in the sand here and now. If it wants any of you, that thing will have to get through me first.” Tina gasped, and some form of distorted whine rose from Endogeny.

 

“Crazy talk! Brutus means no offense, but Alphys doesn’t look like fighter. Alphys would be…” He stopped himself, noticing Tina’s eyes filling with moisture again.

 

“I know what would happen, but I also know what would happen if I didn’t. You said it yourself, you’ve only got enough eggs left to last until the clearing. Then what? Let’s face it, we’re on borrowed time as is. The only thing in my records that has ever stopped it in its tracks for longer than a minute at a time is a fight.” The first turret’s programming was completed, the system automatically making the same alterations to every subsequent machine’s code. “Even if I can’t stop it, these will ensure that it at least buys you all a little more time.”

 

“That’s whack, Alph!” Lansot was on the line, too? “C’mon, don’t go out there and die on us. We need you!”

 

“No, you don’t. I’ve been doing the equivalent of flailing around ever since we got to the surface. Bun, you can do just as good of a job as me.”

 

“But, Alphys, we need to stick together, help each other.” Sorry, but you aren’t convincing me this time.

 

“I know that, and this is how I’m helping. Any heart I had left was torn out in the Underground. The least I can do is drop my shell in its way and hope it slows the thing down enough.

 

“Miss Alphys.” I looked down, Tina’s broken voice far from ignorable. “How did you get so brave?”

 

“Nothing special.” I reached behind me, running a hand over the cold, magi-steel spear that was clasped to my back. A small, almost unnoticeable smile crossed my face. “I just had a great role model.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, the fight scene.


	9. Last Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone, fetch me my Undertale soundtrack! Let's see... Bonetrousel, no, too happy. Death by Glamour, no, too flashy. Ah, Megalovania! That's my jam! *click* Wait, ringing, marching, unified shouting, this isn't Mega! It's too fishy to be Mega! It's...

I ran one last diagnostics check. There wasn’t much else I could do, standing in the middle of the woods, waiting for the wolf to leap from the thicket for a taste of Royal Scientist. As it was, that was the bare minimum to keep me from backing out. Well, that and the fact that I, now alone, had no chance of outrunning the human anyway.

 

Let’s see, wireless connection, stable. My watch never had issues with keeping a channel open. Remote controls, functioning. I could hear my little surprise responding from here, the gears spinning to carry out my simple commands. Spear, yep, still sturdy. What else should I have expected, really? It was an Undyne piece, some of the toughest equipment you could ask for.

 

Tears started edging out, telling me to not stray too much farther into that train of thought. I needed to be sharp if I was to hold the human off for more than twenty seconds. What good’s a meat shield if it’s as tough as processed lunch meat?

 

I could hear the crowd moving as one from nearly a mile off, feel their emotions on the wind. My senses were as sharp as ever, adrenaline stores being pushed to their limit. I would have focused on the cloud of feelings more, picking them apart to keep my mind occupied, but that role was filled by something far more pressing. Another, more violent presence was making itself known at the far end of the forest clearing.

 

The air grew heavy as the creature approached. Perhaps, in a different lighting, I could be convinced it was human. As it was, though, the being staring me down could have been a demon. Its scarlet gaze tore through me, the sensors imbedded in my watch going crazy with the readings of two energies radiating from it.

 

It was about ten paces away when it stopped in its tracks, grin becoming more grotesque by the moment. A laugh ripped from its lungs, teeth seemingly pointed in the low light beneath the layer of clouds above. Between breaths, I heard the survivors’ distinct footsteps peter off in the distance. My mind unwillingly flashed back to Tina for a moment.

 

_“Thank you, Miss Alphys, thank you…”_ My reminiscing was halted by the killer’s ragged voice.

 

“Man, tracking you was a real challenge, Alphys. Didn’t think I bought Monster Hunter in this bundle. But, once again, the protagonist wins!”

 

“Protagonist?” It was like it didn’t realize that this was the real world, the very real consequences for its actions. It only made the figure all the more terrifying. “What kind of s-s-sicko are you!? Protagonists are heroes, protectors of the innocent. All you do is murder them!” I felt my cheeks soaking in the salty proof of my sorrow, my hands quaking in fear. Her spear, held firmly in my palms, rattled angrily.

 

“Innocence is relative. I’m the main character. You’re all holding me back. That makes you the bad guys. See what I mean?” Its eyes rolled in its skull. “Oh well, no matter. I’ve got full rein to my pick of free EXP as soon as you’re out of the way!”

 

My skin turned a bloody red, vision blurring as chemicals raced through my body. That little flame deep within was rising at an alarming rate, yet I didn’t care. I found that I didn’t care about much. Only two thoughts dominated my mind. Protect the innocent, avenge the fallen.

 

‘This punk’s going down!’

 

“Talking about them like they’re just piñatas full of candy. Disregarding their lives, their goals, their right to live, I’m sick of it!” It was like some unseen force was joining with mine, suppressing the terror of my current situation, allowing the blaze to grow ever more. Wait, was it…?

 

“Back underground, you made us run and hide. We cowered away as you slaughtered everyone outside. I saw every single crime over my cameras, but I couldn’t do anything.” Sans’s relaxed smile flashed through my mind, followed by a waterfall of its other victims. His, though, was up there with Undyne’s, Mettaton’s, and Papyrus’s, by far the most crisp in my mental images. Magic flooded through my veins, well beyond what I thought I could bring up at any one time.

 

“Now though…” The spear in my hands glowed an ethereal blue. It gave off a burning aura, yet I remained unscathed, holding it with everything I had. When the rush of energy finally circled through my brain, more pictures flooded into my immediate consciousness. The slow, long process of forging ‘historically accurate’ human weaponry, long stretches of time where we did little more than watch anime on a comfy sofa, that refreshing, life giving talk we had by the deep abyss of waterfall…

 

‘ _I’m… I’m sorry. I couldn’t save you, nor everyone else. Heck, until you came, I_ was just barely holding on to the courage to stay here and fight. Thank you. I promise, here and now, I won’t go down too easily. I won’t let this thing by without a fight. **I** **refuse.** ’

 

“I feel their heartbeats. Those behind me, seeking shelter in the storm.” My throat was getting scratchy, larynx almost dry in texture, as my voice became infinitely more rough. “Those who lie scattered in the Underground. My friends who died trying to protect us.” It was like my Soul was growing larger by the word, burning under the pressure of my resolve.

 

As the energy flowed, my eyes started to get itchy. The left was outright burning, forcing me to close it. Inside my eyelid, instead of the usual pitch black, I saw an odd azure light. The one that was still open found its entire perspective shifted. From the human, I could see raw power filling the air. Two types of red, only a micro shade from being one and the same, rolled endlessly from its skin. The darker of the two was a simple cloud, floating in the air, while the other took the shape of vast ribbons, circling it like the rings that supposedly orbited some planets. They both just made me angrier.

 

“So long as I stand for what I believe in, with every fiber of my being, my friends will never abandon me. Isn’t that right?” The magic in my veins expanded slightly, the hue of her… our spear growing just a little bit brighter.

 

“Oh, blah blah blah.” It disregarded my discovery, an enraging lack of empathy at best. I shouldn’t have expected any decency from it by that point, but it still got to me. “If I wanted an annoying soap box, I’d’ve just bought Metal Gear.” It held up its left hand, the empty one, and waved one, curled finger back and forth. “Get over here and die, already. We both know you aren’t a fighter.” My cheeks quickly dried due to the power swelling within me. The last vestiges of cowardice fled, letting me smile in the face of danger.

 

“That’s exactly why I’m here. Someone hollow like you wouldn’t understand. When you live for someone else, give your all to make sure they’re happy, make sure they’re safe…” The pain in my eye finally died down, letting me open it. As it locked its gaze with mine, it flinched, as though there was something in it that the creature itself feared. “You’re prepared to die!”

 

The very Earth rumbled with my newfound strength, my body basking in the feeling of absolute might. My hand danced across the surface of my watch, the turrets activating with all due haste. Their wide barrels were trained on the human, buzz saws filling the air moments later. I wouldn’t be going down so easily. I was determined.

 

The human jumped into action, curving in and out of the projectiles’ paths. It was like a thing possessed, somehow knowing exactly where each blade would be even before it was shot. At the edge of my mind, I felt a familiar tug, telling me that this shouldn’t have been as it was.

 

What struck me as odd was how much I was agreeing with it. Phantom images appeared everywhere, the human falling, blood leaking over the ground, before the world was drowned in a wave of white light.

 

By the time I was able to shake the feeling off enough to function, the human was upon me, swinging down for an overhead shot. I lifted the spear up, holding it sideways to block the knife. Dust shook from its surface, proof of its crimes. I backed away as quickly as I could, noting the specks of blood also left behind.

 

Muscle memories that weren’t my own kicked in, turning the point forwards before thrusting with all my might. It was able to duck below the shot, but that only brought it within bludgeoning range. The pole came down, cracking across the top of its head. It toppled in shock, eyes blurring as its brain worked to register what happened. I took the chance, bringing down the spearhead while the creature was immobile.

 

My vision blurred again, two pictures on top of each other. One was far more blurry, showing me piercing the human’s upper ribcage, ending the fight decisively. The other, what was actually happening, had it flinging itself off to one side, narrowly missing my strike.

 

In fact, I noticed that happening a lot more. The longer and longer we were at our little dance, the more and more my eyes switched between two similar scenes, with wildly different end results. I would have thought on it more, but I noticed a clicking around our battlefield. The turrets, I realized, had run out of ammunition. It was one less thing evening the field between us.

 

“Out of rounds, lizard! Time to skin me some boots!” The predatory glint in its eyes brought back a spark of fear, though it was swiftly extinguished by the uncontrolled fury that had so thoroughly dominated my thoughts. Then my rational side chimed in, noting that, at the speed it was moving, chances were that it wouldn’t be wildly shifting its trajectory any time soon.

 

I took a chance, reaching the spear out to my left. Magic, my native magic, filled its tip. Soon enough, it was crackling like a thunderhead, my cue to act. It sliced through the air in front of me, energy leaving its physical medium. As the spearhead came to rest on my opposite side, a wide arc of electricity had already taken wing, rushing through the skies too quickly to be stopped.

 

The human only had a brief moment to show its shock before getting shocked. The power passed through its stomach region. Though the wave wasn’t nearly condensed enough to cut it open, a fact one could credit to the rushed forming technique, it was still enough to do notable damage. Several patches of its sweater had burned away, leaving behind severely burnt pieces of flesh. It crumbled to the floor, curling so that its head blocked my view of its torso.

 

I rushed forward, trying to take advantage of the opening, when I caught wind of a small clinking sound. It was too soft to be metallic, and didn’t sound like rocks hitting each other. Then I heard the gulp, saw the light rising from the human’s damaged skin. It rose once more, showing off a complete recovery. It had used its stock of monster food against me, smugly grinning as it sidestepped my stab, closing in to look me in the eyes. Before I could do anything else, I felt a cold sting reach under my ribs, puncturing my heart.

 

Time slowed as the human backed up, giggling in anticipation for the dust storm. Its blade was still jammed in the wound, sticking out several inches from my chest. I reached for it, trying to pull it out, but it only made things hurt worse. My eyes shot open as my legs started dissolving. The only thing keeping me upright was the residual magic, and even that was starting to fade. I leaned on the spear, breathing getting heavy.

 

“Checkmate, Alphys. And you were supposed to be the smart one!” I couldn’t respond, dropping to my knees as my limbs gave out. A few drops of water fell on my snout, the flow increasing into a downpour in the time of one, sluggish blink. Everything slowed down as the decay reached my stomach.

 

‘ _Well, that’s that. Sorry, Undyne. I guess all I’m good for is screwing up…’_ The remaining magic in my system stirred, expanding as far as it could. It felt like it was reaching for the dust cloud slowly growing around me.

 

“How cute, but you’re no Undying, lizard. No, you’re just a little sad sack of failure.” Energy boiled in my vanishing veins, grabbing as much dust as it could. I could feel certain parts of me fading back into existence for a moment, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stave off the process for long. The sheer hatred filling me, tearing me to shreds, was too much for one monster to fight.

 

“Still kicking? Huh, tougher than I thought.” It walked up to me, pushing me away as it reclaimed its knife. From my new position, I could see the sky, or, more accurately, the heavy cloud covering over it. As time slowed, I could make out every little drop as it fell, more than a few landing on my face. The cool touch was a soothing last memory. “One more hit should do it.”

 

I glanced down, seeing the human reeling back for one more swing. I closed my eyes, ready for death. The torrent of rain was putting out the last few embers of my rage, but still the magic persisted. It pushed out against the sides of what was left of my body. It refused to go without a fight. I would have joined it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to move. I was prepared to die as the knife fell.

 

A heavy thud landed on the ground between us. From the sound of it, the human was forced to retreat, gasping at whatever had interrupted it. A great, rumbling howl rang through the woods, its waves distorted as if they were moving through thick water. I knew it well, but I couldn’t believe it. My eyes slowly pulled open, revealing the hulking form of an angry Endogeny.

 

“W… What are yo… you doing… here…?” One of its underdogs stretched out to meet me, nuzzling under my softened chin. It was strange, some sort of energy rubbing off. I had never felt it before, at least not that I remembered. The longer it was there, the more things inside me shifted. It was like an injection of power. My urge to give in was shrinking…

 

_‘Determination!’_ Indeed, it was that mysterious human force, still emanating from an Amalgamate so many years after the initial fusion. I guess I just couldn’t tell it before, a stable body incapable of absorbing it.

 

“Move it, Fido! Your master’s about to bite the dust anyway, so give up!” It just growled more. The human’s courage returned, about to tackle again when three balls of white bounced off of it. The human was knocked farther away as the orbs slowed down, fizzing into the shapes of the Memory Heads.

 

“Y…you, too?” Overhead, a shadow circled its way down, turning out to be a descending Reaper Bird. A boulder came flying in from just past the trees, flinging the human another ten feet. Lemon Bread came flexing in behind his rock shortly after. He closed in, reaching behind his back. Holding on for dear life, yet looking at me with all the concern she could muster, was Mrs. Drake.

 

“A… Alph…ys. I…Is Doc… tor… okay?” I did a double take, not quite trusting my eyes.

 

“W…What are…?” She leaned against my forehead, adding her own DT to the supply. All of them followed suit, pressing in closer and closer, until I swore they were shrinking. Magic flooded my system, several streams reaching for my head. The dust cloud around me pulled back in as they reached my brain.

 

Feeling returned to my hips as a scene of Brutus waving goodbye played, Tina doing the same from his back.

 

“Doggy help friend. Brutus hold Doggy to it!”

 

“Tell Miss Alphys I said hi!”

 

My legs were next, Lansot and his father popping into view. The field of vision was wide, suggesting more than one set of eyes were working in tandem.

 

“Be safe, yo! And give that killer what for!”

 

“Best of luck, you two.”

 

My skin solidified as Bun joined the crowd. She was rubbing under the viewer’s chin.

 

“See you ‘round, pal.”

 

They came all this way to help me? Not only to stop the human, keep everyone else safe, but keep me safe? I didn’t understand…

 

More images filtered in through the streams. Me pouring a large amount of dog food into a bowl. Me slowly cleaning feathers after an accidental run in with a busted water main. Me helping someone short off the floor as they staggered… I felt myself welling up as my physicality loosened.

 

“You all… care about me… that much?” I saw nothing but smiles and nods as I looked around. Their bodies were starting to taper off, only enough left for me to tell them apart. As their DT and magic finalized their position in my new body, my eyes picked up a bright white light all around me.

 

Froggits, Whimsums, Snow Drakes, Pyropes… So many monsters, each with a single cut somewhere on their body. They fell into place neatly in those security recordings I had spent so much time memorizing. They were all of the human’s victims. Even Grillby was there, nodding at me in that enigmatic way of his that somehow always got his emotions across. This time, it was supportive, almost appreciative. I felt a tapping on my shoulder, turning around to the best thing I had seen all day.

 

Standing there were my closest friends, my… family. Papyrus’s enthusiastic smile, Metta’s confident smirk, Sans’s usual chill, Asgore and the calm, polite happiness he always seemed to carry. And, front and center, was the wild, untamable grin of Undyne.

 

“Hey, Alphys. Sorry for letting you down back there, but I’m back, and ready to kick some butt!” I was stunned, letting her pull me to my feet. All of the monsters crowded around me, those five staying the closest of all.

 

“HEYA, ALPHYS! WHAT, DID YOU THINK DEATH COULD STOP THE GREAT PAPYRUS FROM HELPING HIS FRIENDS?”

 

“Alright, Darling, it’s time for our grand finale!”

 

“ready to fight, alph. now that we’re here, well, let’s just say the kid’s boned.”

 

“SANS! THAT WAS EVEN WORSE THAN USUAL!”

 

“yeah, ya got me there. my stand up routine doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance now.”

 

“SANS!!!”

 

“Come now, Doctor, let’s show the human what monsters can do.”

 

I didn’t know what to say. Magic came flowing in from all sides, the crowd slowly but surely vanishing into the stream. With each one that went, more and more memories started lining my thoughts. First person records of the human’s favorite moves, an invaluable compendium. As my sight started to go fuzzy from the cloud of power, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me.

 

“Well, you ready, Alphy?” My heart skipped a beat, a tear dripping from my chin as I responded.

 

“Yeah, Undyne… Let’s do this.”

 

-

 

My vision cleared as the last of my friends’ energies settled. It felt like I had spaced out for a few moments, not enough to completely forget my surroundings, but just over the line of confusion. My joints felt stiff, prompting me to try stretching and pop them. The resulting crack was louder than usual.

 

Come to think of it, a few things were off. My tail and head spikes felt considerably longer and, licking my dried out mouth, my teeth felt a bit sharper. Clenching my hand, I could tell the skin over it was tougher, almost scaly in texture, and my claws came to a much harder point.

 

My eyes finally slid open to a number of surprises. One, my glasses had seemingly vanished, nowhere to be seen on my longer snout. Two, I found that I didn’t need them, my sight better than it had ever been, easily able to make out the little trees surrounding me. And that was the third thing. Those trees, which had once been a good deal taller than me, only came up to my thighs.

 

Detailed images came in before I could freak out, giving me a much better look at myself. No longer was I a Minor Wyrm. Now, I was more of a proper dragon, muscles rippling as I fell to all fours. It seemed standing on two legs was no longer an option for my upscaled form. Getting a closer look at my tail, the tip looked absolutely lethal, like a spearhead forged from a mithril and magi-steel blend. Poking around inside, it seemed like a bit of inorganic material had found its way into the fusion process, meaning I could still wield the spear she had given me.

 

_‘Alright, something familiar to work with!’_ The thought spooked me at first, most definitely not being mine, when I realized that it wasn’t the only one. A cacophony of voices filled my complex, in every pitch and tone. It was a comforting reminder that I wasn’t alone, alongside that aura I was giving off. It was a great, billowing cloud, consisting of every color I could imagine. The two most prominent, though, were gold and blue.

 

My mind finally settled enough for me to refocus on the point of our transformation, the human staring at me from below. It looked dumbfounded, unable to process the hulking giant that had formed right in front of it.

 

“Human.” My voice echoed despite the lack of distance, the entire Underground resonating from my throat. “Each of us that fills this body, you have wronged. Each of us have you slain for no reason beyond personal gain and thrills. Your trail ends here, neath the tread of…” I reared back on my hind legs, using the pause to ask around what I should actually call myself now. I had no ideas, but they did. I found myself agreeing with Sans’s pick, to the lighthearted groans of his roommates.

 

“ALPHMALGAMATE!” The bellow rumbled throughout the region, trees all trying to uproot themselves to flee the towering drake from which it originated. My front crashed down, a small earthquake following suit. My slit eyes, the left a literally burning blue, locked on our target. My trachea shook again, but, this time, magic fused with the air. When my maw stretched open, a great beam of raw magic burst forth, cutting a deep scar into the landscape.

 

The human was narrowly able to avoid the devastation, landing on its knees, face down in front of me. It was clear to all of us that our combined strength made it feel too small to react properly. My tail rose, shooting forth to bury itself in the human’s spot. It threw itself to the side, just getting out of the way. The shockwaves still carried it to the edge of the woods, fallen to its side.

 

I observed my surroundings as I walked. In just two attacks, I had cut down several hundred trees, and left two clear marks on the Earth’s surface. One was a straight pit, the other a wide slash. It felt like being on top of the world, even if I quietly promised to restore as much of it as I could should we win. And, seeing how the human was shaking, I thought victory was certain.

 

Then I realized that it was making a sound. It was quick, repetitive. At first, I thought it was whimpering. Then it got louder, revealing that horrible, scarring chuckle that many of the spirits within me still cringed at. It dragged itself to its feet, its eyes shrinking to smaller than pinpricks as it leaned back in laughter.

 

“Ah man! I thought I’d never find someone this tough! You, Alphys, have seriously wrecked my expectations. And here I thought I’d never get to use my last boss drop without things getting too easy!” Its hands curved, each held out to one side, pointing inwards. From its chest, a ring of bright, colorful specks emerged. I gasped as my eyes magnified them, six human Souls surrounding a seventh. The last was a deep red, cracked beyond all comprehension.

 

Suddenly, it clicked. The barrier wasn’t there because someone had broken it. That was only possible through the power of seven human Souls. The only one around when they vanished was the human. I didn’t know how it was possible, but the killer had absorbed them all. That must have been how it closed a thirty minute gap in about ten. It had stolen the power of a god.

 

“How… How is that possible? Only monsters can absorb human Souls…”

 

“Well…” Its predatory, quickly sharpening smile chilled us to the core. “…Thing is, I gave up my Soul a long time ago. Not a human, just taking this one for a spin, and yet, I’m not exactly a monster. So, maybe you should just call me…” The Souls solidified, taking the appearance of gemstones embedded along the top of its chest, the red front and center in the pack.

 

“A demon!” Its eyes were awash in red light, vast black wings akin to those of a bat growing from its back. Its stature shifted, too, growing to almost twice its previous height. It looked scraggly, arms and legs like thin layers of skin overlaying bone. Its hair elongated, covering its right eye as the left just grew brighter.

 

“Yeah, that’s badass enough for me!” It looked closer at the knife in its hand, letting the power overtake it as well. The base knife didn’t change much in appearance, all color just being exchanged for a deep black. But the floating thing was definitely new, as well as there being a swarm of them, numbering far higher than I could reliably count. “Let’s dance, trash pack!”

 

It charged forth, taking wing to meet me face to face. Alone, I know I would have wavered. I would have been shaking in my coat, hiding behind the spear before getting cut down. But I wasn’t alone. I had the King standing with me. I had my family standing with me. Undyne was with me.

 

And we were all DETERMINED.

 

My tail lashed out, sweeping in front of me as I jumped backwards. The creature’s tackle was aborted, instead twirling off to one side as a flurry of knives continued on its previous path. I tried rushing from the danger zone as quickly as I could, but one if them was able to graze my right shoulder.

 

Instead of being the only shot necessary, though, my health bar only shrank by a sliver. It seemed the Underground stood a far better chance together than apart. Pretty useful, considering just how big of a target we made.

 

I leased another breath attack, tracing the creature as it flailed its way around the sky. It drew as close as it could, hoping to sneak a hit in as I was preoccupied with my attack. What it didn’t expect, though, to be fair, I didn’t see it coming either, was my tail moving of its own accord.

 

‘sorry, buddy, but you don’t make the cut.’ The pointed tip waved down as my eye burned brighter, a deep blue aura wrapping around the beast. It was thrown to the ground, cracks spreading out in an intricate web from the point of impact. It was nice having such a powerful team behind me. One of them sent a message to my main core.

 

‘Give us a minute, yeah?’

‘Be patient, and we might shift this playing field in our favor.’

‘Ribbit.’

 

I felt magic swirling around in my back, scales creaking as it forced my internal structure to shift. It didn’t really bother me, whatever spell they were cooking up also numbing any possible pain.

 

In the mean time, I made myself busy with our recovering opponent. It had shaken off the impact, resorting to creating as many blades as possible. A hailstorm of sharp objects took to the air, whistling by as I put all of Metta’s movement training to use. High tier dance practice could double as a dodging tutorial. Who knew?

 

‘Why, I did, Darling!’ Would have been useful to know earlier, but okay. Even as I was forcing myself into all sorts of compressed, cramped poses to avoid damage, I couldn’t help but notice one little detail. One knife always remained close to its master, never leaving its spot over its right shoulder. It reminded me a little of my turret system, their main hard drive staying by me in the form of a watch program…

 

Lightbulb!

 

I did as many twists as i could, lashing my tail out over and over again. Each thrust was accompanied by a bright blue flash and a flying spear, creating my own storm of pointy things. Two could play that sort of game.

 

It had to do similarly uncomfortable distortions of its own to avoid getting skewered. But I wasn’t aiming for it. Well, not primarily anyway. My mark was a touch smaller. I found myself edging closer and closer, boosting my chances of success a few degrees with every step.

 

Soon enough, the stars aligned and my plan worked. It had taken to a sideways battle roll, its blade left hovering in the air just above it. I took the shot, knocking it from its control and grazing its now-torn sweater. A thin line of red leaked from the scratch.

 

‘Bullseye!’

 

As quickly as they appeared, the blades it had summoned fizzed away, their base model no longer in the beast’s grasp. It freaked out, scurrying to try grabbing it again, but I was just a little bit quicker. I plucked the knife from the ground, wasting no time in crushing it between my claws. By the time I released it, there was little more than a few sheets of heavily dented and torn foil and a rubber hilt.

 

“No! You stupid iguana, that’s cheating!”

 

“All is fair in love and war, miscreant.” I felt a distinct touch of Grillby on my tongue that time, though that didn’t make me agree with his conclusion any less. That satisfaction in the pit of my stomach wasn’t the only good thing I was feeling. The touch of magic had left my back, and, upon stretching to get all the feeling back in it, I found the fruits of their labor.

 

Two great wings, plated in the same gold as the rest of me, expanded from my spine, each nearly as tall as I. In the membranes between each ‘finger,’ energy swirled around in a dazzling display of colors. I spread them out for the world to see, letting the rainbow engulf the land around me. Voices echoed in the back of my mind, a single word resonating through the very magic of my being. All it needed was an outlet into reality.

 

Well, I’m not one to hold back potential. I took a breath, lungs filling with air, before letting out an earth shaking bellow.

 

“Armageddon!” Magic filled the air as the world around me changed to our designs. Meteors fell from the heavens. The earth cracked open, letting loose torrents of lava, burning chains weaving like serpents in and around the streams. As the immediate vicinity fried, things at a distance began to freeze. A layer of frost formed on the leaves and ground, spikes of pure ice rising at an alarming rate. Even the skies bent to me, the heavy rain turning to horrible thunder as my magic touched it.

 

My body slowly rose from the ground as the power washed over me. It was like my senses were going beyond our world, the space around me seeming to distort. I saw that our foe followed me to the sky, keeping its eye open for the stray bolt of lightning or falling chunk of rock. Its body was glowing, straining to pull every drop of strength from the Souls it possessed. Its hair waved in the breeze, pointed skyward under the force of raw power.

 

“This one’s for all the marbles.” I nodded, actually agreeing with it for once.

 

“With one last move, we will know the victor. You, or us?” We paused, readying ourselves for the final clash.

 

“Let’s do this!”

 

The air broke, unable to maintain our forms as we sped towards each other. Our killing intent soaked the fabric of the world, the Earth itself curving to escape the crossfire. There, high above the craggy terrain, we met, claw against claw, body against body, trying to push the other into submission. When two forces meet, only the greater may continue.

 

I felt every Soul inside me pushing themselves to the limit, rushing to bring everything they had to the surface. My power rose higher and higher, every fiber of my being going through previously unknown forms of pain to reach my maximum potential. Nothing less stood a chance.

 

One moment, I was looking the faux human in the eyes, clashing for the fate of the world. The next, I was staring off into a deep, impenetrable abyss. Both realities coexisted in my mind. Suddenly, a slightly lighter spot appeared, growing closer and closer each time I faded into its plane.

 

“Interesting…” Its voice was deep, sophisticated and terrifying at the same time. It came within range enough to make out its base most features, though its whole was painfully obscured, blurred out like a mark someone tried erasing from their paper, but only half finished.

 

It was certainly tall, likely standing shoulder to shoulder with Asgore. It seemed to be adorned in some form of black cape or the like, any flesh covered by a thick layer of dark grey fur. It sported some form of muzzle, and its eyes pierced whatever they met.

 

“A new oddity emerges from your world. That is the fourth, by my count.” It glanced downwards, focusing on something just out of my field of view. “You seem to be in quite the pickle, Miss Alphys. Here, this might be of some use to you in the near future.” It placed one, five-fingered hand on my head. The fingers themselves were hard, its palm a more reasonable, yet still fairly rough, texture for flesh. A new presence drifted through my mind, embedding itself as deeply as it could. When I tried prodding the new addition, a voice echoed in my subconscious.

 

_‘Nine, six, two. Nine, six, three.’_ These numbers, they felt important, but I didn’t know why.

 

“Do try to remember those, yes? We’re both counting on it.” It waved semi cordially as I faded back into my world. “So long. I do hope your passing isn’t too painful.”

 

My attention returned to the Earth as everything fell apart. My power was waning, unable to keep up much longer. Its smile had returned in full as it broke through the final few scraps of resistance left.

 

My power gave out, allowing that thing to pass. My body didn’t put up much more of a fight, hardly even slowing it down. The Souls inside me fled these damaged sections, all retreating to my own spirit. They knew this form wasn’t meant to be for much longer, cramming themselves inside my Soul as gently as they could. As everything began to fade, I looked up at my murderer.

 

“So long, and thanks for all the fun!” I failed. Even with everyone backing me up, I still wasn’t good enough. One of the Souls moved closer to my core, embracing it in a supportive ‘hug.’

 

‘You gave it your all, Alphys. That’s all any of us can do. Either way, I’m proud of _you.’_ I lost, and yet she still encouraged me. That made things go by so much easier. I didn’t mind losing, because I had still bought the others time. I didn’t mind dying, because I was facing what lay beyond with my friends, my family, Undyne at my side.

 

The demon laughed as my life ended, and I didn’t mind, because now there was nothing else it could do to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I had to do something with the whole 'Alphys is a dragon' thing. It's law!
> 
> One more chapter to go, people. See you there!


	10. Final Gambit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When all the cards are played, and you're about to be flushed, then you know it's time to pull the ace from your sleeve.

My eyes opened to a world of black. I blinked over and over again, but nothing changed. Was this what death was like? Deep inside, I felt several other beings resting peacefully, meaning I still wasn’t alone. I guess it could have been worse.

 

My mind slowly pieced together the events that led to my current state. We fought long and hard, but, in the end, that didn’t even matter. We failed, but at least we went down fighting. That little thought was more than enough to absolve me of guilt. I could rest easy now, if it wasn’t for that horrible, torn voice in the distance…

 

I turned my perspective, finding two figures floating off in the dark. One was a somewhat familiar human. They wore a blue sweater with two purple stripes. Their face, with a pair of eyes that appeared squinted shut, seemed devoid of all feeling. It was the look of defeat.

 

Next to them, smiling in such a way that made my heart drop (assuming I still had one) was the demon. It had taken its more human-like state, talking to the other child.

 

“Very well. I’ll just take what’s mine now.” A bright, red light broke free from the human’s chest as their face twisted in pain. Following shortly thereafter was a Soul. I recognized it, the broken spirit that had been front and center on the demon’s mantle…

 

So, that’s the human it took control of. It had mentioned something like that during our fight, but seeing it now was still shocking. They looked so innocent, as though they didn’t deserve any of this. I wanted to help them, but how?

 

My head ached, something foreign to me bubbling to the surface. I briefly recalled when that stranger had planted those numbers in the back of my mind, saying they were important. Was this what it meant?

 

“Pleasure doing business with you, Frisk.” That name… Something about that name was comforting. It gave me hope. Suddenly, the human started glowing a yellow hue. Their expression became more fierce, as though their spirit to fight had been rekindled. Their Determination spread far and wide, giving me a perfect opening. I wasn’t sure what would happen, but I had to try. I held out a hand and whispered the words.

 

“Nine, six, two. Nine, six, three.” The human noticed my ripples in this place, slowly but surely repeating me. As the last string left their mouth, the void was instantly enveloped in a blinding light. The demon was in a panic, looking around as reality crumbled. Its fear turned to anger, screaming its lungs out at the human. Frisk, if I remembered right.

 

Frisk, though, was undisturbed, courage turning to relieved bliss as the demon vanished. My senses all became numb as the light overtook everything I was. I openly welcomed the change, drifting off to sleep as my wounds all disappeared.

 

-

 

I jolted awake, checking my surroundings. These dreams had been far more confusing ever since I accepted them as being what actually happened once. The walls around me were all a sterile white, though the usual brightness was diminished by the fact that it was still roughly midnight.

 

I was on a rather plush chair, scooted off to one wall as to not crowd around the bed in the center of the room. Laying there, completely unconscious, was Frisk. I was only able to somewhat catch that much, seeing as most of their face was obscured by that oh-so familiar, cracked theater mask. It was a relief to see them resting easy.

 

A soothing pressure made itself known as it wrapped slightly tighter around my shoulders. I leaned to my right, curling back into Undyne’s arms. She seemed happy to have me close again, going right back to deep sleep from whatever half state let her notice I had shifted away.

 

I had a few minutes to think before my body settled enough to fall back to sleep. It was mostly aimed at the newest vision, a horrifying omen of what could have been. Luckily, it never technically happened. Not in this timeline anyway. We were all happily living on the surface alongside Frisk, though things were getting pretty shaky at the moment. It was still infinitely better than anything that other possibility space included. My mind suitably calmed, I let myself drift back into a peaceful rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that, my oddly-silent-these-days audience, is another story down. Next big thing on the list is a proper sequel to Broken Clock. It'll be a while before I can start posting, getting a nice backlog up and all, but I have a few little filler ideas here and there to throw up over the break. Not for this series, mind, but still definitely Undertale. Including a little poetry. Should be fun. See you then!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back, Beauties! And I have gut punches for everyone!


End file.
